Too Like the Lightning
by redcherryamber
Summary: Yazoo has been sent back alone. Reno is ordered to find out why. Reno/Yazoo, rated mainly for language and themes.
1. Chapter 1

A Renzoo fic. Rated M for Reno's language and themes rather than anything too explicit cause I'm not good at that stuff – but I'm trying to improve XD. Male/male relationship – don't like, don't read.

Disclaimers – The characters are all owned by Square Enix, not me. I just like playing with them…

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Too Like the Lightning

Hello, Beautiful

For three days the prisoner had hardly moved. He sat on one end of the steel bunk, back against the concrete wall, arms around his drawn-up knees, head down. His face was screened by the soft fall of pale hair, which gleamed blue-silver like moonlight beneath the harsh bulbs in the cell. He refused to eat or drink anything except a few sips of water, so each morning the guards came and inserted a drip into his arm, delivering saline and nutrients directly into a vein. He did not struggle or protest, only kept his head down. Sometimes, the guards said, he seemed to be crying, but he did it silently. He resisted all interrogation – questioning, beatings, electrodes – all the usual techniques drew a blank. He screamed and cried when they hurt him, as everyone did, but he never said a coherent word – not even to beg them to stop. At last an exasperated Tseng sent for Reno. The red-haired Turk stood in Tseng's office, casual as ever, shirt open at the neck, tie – missing in action, Tseng supposed.

"I want you to take over the interrogation of Yazoo personally," Tseng informed his second in command. Reno's face fell. "Oh man! You know I hate interrogations!"

"We all hate interrogations – I don't employ sadists and psychopaths. But someone has to do it, and according to your psych-profile you're the most suitable in this case. We need to know two things –"

"I know, I know. _How_ he's back, and _why _he's back."

"Right."

Reno walked into the cell. Yazoo didn't move. The Turk looked at him, without pity. "I need two pieces of information from you," he said, "And we're not going to stop until I have them." At the sound of his voice the remnant, Yazoo, raised his head slowly. There was a deep cut above his right eye, blood in his long hair and his mouth was bruised, but despite the injuries he was still possessed of a demonic beauty. "I remember you," he whispered, with a little smile. "I trashed your helicopter with my bike! Hello, beautiful."

"What the?" Reno was taken aback by the epithet, but soon recovered himself. "One," he said, "I need to know how you've come back. Two, I need to know why."

"I don't know why I've been sent back," said Yazoo, his voice very low. "I don't know the mechanism for re-animating me – all I know is it felt as if I were being thrown out of the Life-stream while my mother and bothers were still there. I didn't want to come. It hurts out here." His bruised mouth trembled and two tears slid down his pale cheeks. "I want to go back. It feels as though – as though there's something I'm supposed to do, but I don't know what it is. It feels as though there's something I can change, or… something that can change me. I don't have any plan. I told the others nothing, because I wasn't really awake properly – and…Why do I want to talk to you? I don't know why. But when I was here before – we fought, and you…You saw me. As if I were real. You tried to kill me, but I forgive you. Perhaps I'm here so that you can forgive me?" Yazoo's emerald eyes were wide, glowing with sincerity. Reno looked into them, and suddenly felt very strange. Yazoo asked, "Do you have to hurt me again, now I've answered your questions? It hurts a lot. I don't like it."

"You had no problem hurting Tseng and Elena!"

"Not me. Kadaj. I don't want to hurt people. I…was glad when the dark one in the red cloak took them from us. Kadaj wanted to kill them."

"You shot Cloud. In the back."

"He killed Kadaj. I thought…we'd all be together. He is our brother too – but they sent him back. And I saved your life, sweetheart."

"Quit callin' me stuff like that! And when did you save my life?"

"In the helicopter. I was going to shoot you in the head – and then I saw it was you, and shot out the controls instead."

"And you call that saving my life? The fucking cyclic came off in my hands! We hit the deck – hard!"

"But you survived. I thought you were low enough to survive." Yazoo shrugged. "Anyway – it was quite a chase, wasn't it? You flying the helicopter through that tunnel - that bridge collapsing! The speed! Then you blew us up…"

"Nearly blew ourselves up as well, yo!"

"Yes." Yazoo smiled. Reno almost found himself smiling too, then remembered what he was supposed to be doing. He frowned, instead, and said, "It's not a game!"

"But of course it's a game." Yazoo looked at Reno, and again the Turk found himself caught by those strange, vivid eyes. Yazoo said softly, "I never knew – what's your name, beautiful?"

"Will you cut that out!"

"Does it bother you?"

"I'm not that way inclined. And anyway, you're a prisoner."

"I can't help it. It's…what I do. It's a trait of Sephiroth's. Kadaj had all his cunning, Loz had his strength and I have the part that drew people to him."

"Well it won't work on me."

"I expect that's why they sent you. But it's not as though being attracted to me would make you attracted to men in general. I'm...not exactly…human."

"Oh, well that's fine then!" exclaimed Reno, with heavy sarcasm. Yazoo sighed. "It's such a shame. I would give you whatever you wanted. I wish you would tell me your name."

"You know I'm not going to do that."

"Ah." Yazoo looked so sad that Reno actually felt sorry for him for a moment. He looked so pale and slight and vulnerable – lost and very young. Reno said, "You're only a boy."

"No!" Yazoo's eyes shone with an ethereal green light. "I am of the Lifestream. This body is just an outward form. In this incarnation I suppose I was born a few months ago. In this re-animation I'm only a few days old. But I am, in one way, as old as Sephiroth, and in another, as old as the planet itself. I would like you to forgive me. But if that's not possible, then kill me, please! Send me back to the Lifestream where I belong." His eyes filled with tears again. "Although perhaps it will just send me straight back."

"You want to die?"

"I don't want any more pain. I want to go home." Reno found himself fighting an urge to put his arms around the fragile creature; to tell him it would be all right. He had a sudden lucid mental image of himself stroking that long, smoky hair – kissing the bruised skin of Yazoo's pale face. "Fuck!" he thought. "What's up with that? What the fuck's he doin' to me, yo?" As harshly as he could manage, he said, "I'm going to report. No more pain – for now. Until we decide whether to believe you or not." Yazoo bowed his head gracefully and whispered, "Thank you." Reno left the cell, and went to report to Tseng. He explained everything Yazoo had said, not leaving out the 'beautiful' and the 'sweetheart', and then added, "It's weird, yo. I felt sorry for the son of a bitch. I felt – ah – I can't explain it!"

"You felt attracted to him?" Tseng studied Reno's face, but the red-headed Turk did not appear embarrassed – rather, he seemed puzzled. "Kinda," he admitted at last. But you know me, right, boss? I like girls, yo! I mean, what ever floats your boat, but, hey – that's just not my thing. It's like he was messing with my head. You think it's magic, or something?"

"Well, he told you he was the incarnation of Sephiroth's seductive side. Evil can be seductive, I suppose. We chose you because the psych profiles said you were likely to be the least susceptible to him. Elena was in there two minutes and said she'd have no chance with him. I found myself drawn to him. Even Rude…But the question is, do you believe him? Is he really so uncertain about why he's here, do you think?" Reno pushed back his spiky red hair, and said, "Honestly, Sir, I don't know. He seemed sincere, but then my brain does weird things around him, so who knows? Sorry, boss, that's not very helpful." Tseng shook his head. "No, Reno, but it's honest. That's what I need from you. I think we should take him at his word, and return him to the Lifestream." Reno's heart skipped a beat. He said, "But he told me he'd most likely be sent straight back."

"Well, if he is, that will confirm part of his story, at least."

"But –" Reno was appalled at his body's reaction to the thought of Yazoo being executed. He felt sick, shaky, close to tears. Ah shit, this was no good! He nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said. "I agree."

"Good," said Tseng. "All right, Reno. Do it straight away."

Oh no, no, no.

Reno asked desperately, "Me, boss?"

"Who else? I know you're strong enough."

"Right." Reno straightened up and took a breath. He felt disorientated. "I…uh…haven't got a gun here…" Tseng reached beneath his jacket and handed Reno one of his long, black pistols. "Take this." Reno looked at the weapon in his hand. "Okay." He turned and walked back towards the elevator.

When he reached the cell, one of the guards told him that Yazoo seemed to be sleeping for the first time in three days. Reno thought, "Perhaps it's better like this." He walked over to the bunk and looked down at Yazoo. Long dark lashes were closed on pale cheeks. There was a strand of silver hair across his face, and Reno had to resist the urge to brush it aside. He angled the gun, point blank, almost touching Yazoo's temple. How many hits over the years? Don't think. Aim. Shoot. Reno's hand shook. Yazoo opened his eyes and half sat up. He smiled sleepily, seeming unconcerned about the gun. "Hello, beautiful. They said I have to die?"

Reno nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Yazoo smiled. "I'm going home, then." He reached up and touched Reno's left cheekbone, where the red tattoo curved like a claw mark. "Won't you tell me your name now?" he asked, simply. Reno tried to speak; cleared his throat. "R – Reno," he managed. Yazoo sighed and closed his eyes as though Reno had just told him something miraculous. "I'm glad it's you," he murmured. He opened his green eyes again, and smiled sadly. "Goodbye, Reno," he said. Reno lifted the gun, but his vision blurred. "I can't…"

"You can." Yazoo put his warm hand over Reno's icy one, guided the pistol to his own head, and said, "Now!" Reno pulled the trigger, dropped the gun, and sank down on the floor beside the bunk, holding his head in his hands. He could not look at what the bullet had done to Yazoo's perfect face, but he didn't have to, because already the body was disintegrating, vanishing into the Lifestream in glittering fragments. At last Reno wiped his eyes angrily and stood up. Right. Over, yo! Back to normal life. Tonight he'd call Rude, go out to a club, find a pretty girl. Normal. Reno picked up the gun, and went to report to Tseng.

"It's done."

"Good work, Reno." Tseng took back the gun, and said, "Have tomorrow off. Go out tonight, yes?"

"Yeah. That's what I figured on doin'. 'Kay, yo." Even to his own ears the cheery tone sounded fake.

When Reno had left the office, Tseng flipped open his laptop and reviewed the footage from the prison cell security cameras. Something very like jealousy twisted inside him when he watched Yazoo smiling at Reno, touching his face. When the gun went off, Tseng gasped, horrified. He analyzed his body's responses with as much detachment as he could muster, astonished by the sympathy Yazoo had provoked in him. "You did it, Reno," Tseng muttered to himself. "He had to help you, but you did it. It's more than I could have done." He sighed and shook his head thoughtfully. "Gaia help us if he does come back!" Tseng took his phone from his pocket and called Rude.

"Hello – Tseng. Yes. Listen, Reno's eliminated the remnant problem for us, but it wasn't easy, for the reasons we discussed at the meeting. Take him out tonight, let him get as drunk as he wants, make sure he doesn't go home alone. Yes – either make sure he leaves with a girl, or take him back to yours, and keep an eye on him… I know, but it's better to be safe than…All right. Thank you Rude."

But the next morning Reno did wake up alone, and without any trace of a hangover. He remembered the club Rude had dragged him to, the impressively built blonde who had been so friendly, the way the drinks had tasted flat. He remembered making his excuses and leaving, in spite of the girl's obvious interest and overt offers. Rude had walked home with him, but Reno had insisted on being left alone. "Look, partner, I know you're trying to look after me, man, but I'm fine, yo! I just need some head-space, 'kay?" In the end Rude had accepted Reno's words, and left. Reno had finally slept, but his dreams had all been of Yazoo and pulling the trigger. He woke up with tears on his face, at five in the morning. Tseng had told him to take the day off, but he found it was the last thing he wanted. He got up, showered, dressed in his usual pared-down version of the Turks' uniform, reached for a cigarette and discovered that he didn't want one. "This is so fucked up," he thought. "I need to get into the office, do some boring reports, get that – creature? Remnant? - " Reno felt his heart soften. "Yazoo," he thought. "I have to get Yazoo out of my head." Then he tried thinking it more aggressively. "I have to get Yazoo out of my head! For fuck's sake – he called me sweetheart! He called me beautiful." But he couldn't hold on to the anger. Whenever he thought of Yazoo his resolve went to pieces. "He called me beautiful." Reno found himself smiling sadly at the memory.

As soon as it was properly light, Reno set off for work. The streets were more or less deserted at this time in the morning, but a few blocks short of the Shin-Ra building Reno saw a slight figure sitting on the ground dejectedly. The young man wore dark jeans, combat boots and a soft grey hooded top. As Reno drew closer his skin began to prickle with a sensation like the electric charge before a lightning strike. He knew, even before the figure put back the hood and looked at him out of those catlike green eyes. He stopped and knelt down on the paving stones. "Yazoo?" The silver-haired remnant smiled calmly.

"Hello, Reno. It sent me back."

"I'm… glad it did." Reno was astonished by how true that was.

"So am I. It's strange – I thought I wanted to go home, but it's different now." Alarm suddenly flashed across the remnant's beautiful face. "You're not going to take me back to Shin-Ra are you? I don't want to go back there."

"No. Never. But I'm not sure where we can go. I'm damn sure they've still got surveillance at my place. I destroyed some bugs – put in a jamming device, but I've never found any cameras. Can't go there. We have to get away from here, for a start." Reno glanced around nervously, checking the positions of the street cameras. None seemed to be pointing along this side-street. He thought quickly. "'Kay – listen. We need to get to old Midgar – Sector Five. Minimal surveillance out there. We'll have to take the train – separately." He replaced Yazoo's hood, which brought him close. Yazoo smiled at him, and Reno barely resisted the urge to kiss him. He said, "Ah, Yaz, don't do that to me, yo."

"What?" The remnant's eyes were confused, worried. "I'm not doing anything, Reno."

"You're really not, are you? You just can't help it."

"No. It's…Sephiroth." Yazoo's sudden smile lit up his face again. "Reno, I like it when you call me Yaz."

"Quit flirting! Look, I don't even know why I'm doing this. I should take you in to Shin-Ra, but I just can't. Keep your hood up. Don't talk to anyone. You have any money?" Yazoo shook his head. Reno took some Gs out of his wallet, hoping that he was right about those security cameras. "Go to the station, past the fountain over there and right at the next corner. Buy a single ticket to Sector Five. Get on the train when it comes and when you reach Sector Five wait on the platform. Buy food if you want, but don't get into conversation with anyone. Can you do that?" Yazoo giggled. "Sweet Reno! I may have been born yesterday, but I wasn't born yesterday! I _can_ take a train."

"Okay, sorry. Just…"

"Yes?"

"Try not to seduce anyone on the way, all right? Keep out of trouble." Yazoo laughed softly. "I promise, Reno. I'll be good. When will you come? Do you have to go to work?"

"No. I've got the day off. I'll have to go home and change out of this uniform, but then I'll be on the next train."

Reno stepped off the train and scanned the platform anxiously, his heart flipping when he caught sight of Yazoo leaning casually against a wall drinking coffee out of a Styrofoam cup, his hood up as instructed. Reno glanced around, checking for cameras, and began to walk towards him when a tall, bearded man of about fifty approached Yazoo with a look on his face that had taught Reno to run when he'd been an adolescent on the streets of the slums. Reno tensed, paused, tried not to let the surge of hate he felt lead him into doing something stupid and attention-grabbing. He watched as the man spoke to Yazoo, who shook his head quickly. The older man took out a wallet and said something else. Reno expected Yazoo to look panicked, to need rescuing, but instead the remnant's face assumed an icy, arrogant expression that Reno hoped never to see directed at him. He recognised it though. It was pure Sephiroth. Yazoo said something, and the older man backed away, his face twisted with anger and fear. Reno walked past him and murmured, "That's right – walk away. And if you ever go near him again, I'll fucking kill you."

"Okay, okay, I get it!" the man muttered. "Your boyfriend can look after himself."

"What? He's not my –" Reno began, ruining the effect of his threat, but at that moment Yazoo saw him, and shot him a dazzling smile. "Hello beautiful!" Reno sighed. "Don't call me that," he sighed, half-heartedly. "Was that bastard bothering you?"

"Don't worry. I can take care of myself. You know – you've gone up against me. I can fight."

"Yeah, I remember." Reno winced at the memory of Yazoo kicking him half way across Edge's central plaza. Yazoo smiled sympathetically. "Sorry. But you kicked me in the head, as I recall. You were quite impressive, actually."

"Oh, thanks," Reno responded dryly. "C'mon. We need to find an ATM and a place for you to stay."

"We do?"

"Yeah, because I'm gonna tell the boss that I spent today shopping and drinking in a bar I know near the market. We need to find somewhere to rent that can't be traced. What can I buy that doesn't cost much but looks expensive? I have to justify taking out all the cash we're gonna need."

"You think Shin-Ra monitors your finances?"

"Shin-Ra monitors every damn thing, yo."

"Oh. That's…not good." Yazoo's face suddenly lit up. "Hey, I know!" He unfastened an earring from his left ear and handed it to Reno. "Have this." Reno looked at the glittering earring. "This looks like a diamond."

"It is. The Lifestream kind of sends you back into the world as you want to be. I wanted to look normal this time, so I copied the clothes of some guy I saw in Edge before Shin-Ra security took me in last time."

"This looks like a very expensive diamond."

"I guess," Yazoo shrugged. "Swap it for yours? I like yours."

"Okay." Reno took out the silver hoop he always wore and put in the diamond stud. Yazoo smiled, fastening Reno's earring in his own ear, and asked, "Does this mean we're going steady?"

"Ah – stop it!" But Yazoo's constant flirting didn't really bother Reno anymore. He was starting to get used to it.

When they found a bank with an ATM, Reno took out the maximum Gs allowed on three different cards, telling Yazoo to wait around the corner so that he wouldn't be caught on the bank's security cameras. After that Reno went to a bar, and Yazoo went to find a place to rent, with Reno's money. They met three hours later in a side street not far from the market. Reno had drunk enough to make his story about spending most of the day in a bar convincing if anyone checked up on him, and he seemed to be having a little trouble focussing as Yazoo told him about the apartment he'd found. "It's along here," the remnant said, leading the way into a side alley. "Hmm. Nice neighbourhood," Reno commented, looking around warily. Yazoo shrugged. "It's cheap. The landlord wasn't asking questions. It has its own entrance. Everything you said I'd need."

"Good. Good." Reno's mind seemed to be on something else. "I called Rude at work. From the bar. Told him I was going shopping. They can trace the call to the bar, so that's fine. I took the earring out, so I can say I bought it this afternoon, so that's fine. No cameras here. Phone hidden in the bar – I'll get it later. Okay – we're good to go." Yazoo looked over his shoulder. "You're making me nervous."

"You need to be. If they find you – if they know I helped you…" Reno shook his head. "Why am I doing this, man?" Yazoo stopped at a brown-brick building with an iron fire-escape zigzagging up the wall. He ran lightly up the steps to the third floor – the top – and opened a heavy steel door. Reno followed him inside, and Yazoo locked the door behind them. "Home, sweet home!" the remnant said, gesturing to the dingy apartment. A small sitting room containing two faded brown couches, a wonky standard lamp and an ancient television had been made even smaller by the addition of a row of kitchen units, a loudly humming fridge-freezer, a sink and a cooker. Two doors led off the main room. "Bedroom on the left – lovely view over the alley. Bathroom on the right – ditto over another alley," Yazoo announced. "Not overlooked – like you said. Everything seems to work." Reno looked around. It was depressingly similar to the apartment he'd grown up in. If Tseng found out about Yazoo, he'd be back living somewhere like this. If he was living at all. Unconsciously he made a helpless gesture with his left hand, and Yazoo saw it at once. "Reno?" The remnant's voice was sharp with fear. "Don't give me up to them. I need a chance. I need to work out why I've been sent here. If you give me to them, they'll either kill me again, or…"

"If they find out I've been helping you, they'll probably kill me," Reno pointed out. "Trouble is, the Lifestream won't send me back, yo." Yazoo's green eyes were very wide. "You think they'd kill _you_? After all you've done for them?" Reno nodded. "They don't stand for betrayal. Hell, _I've_ killed people for less, on their orders."

"Oh. I never thought…" Yazoo looked suddenly older - more serious. He stood in the centre of the room, the low roof of the apartment emphasising his height. He put back the hood of his top, and freed his long hair with a careless, automatic movement. He turned to Reno, and the Turk found himself looking up into Yazoo's unearthly green eyes. "It's all right," Reno heard himself saying. "I want to help." Yazoo nodded. "I know." He touched Reno's cheek gently, and then kissed him. Reno felt that everything was falling away from him as his familiar world dissolved, leaving only Yazoo and himself and sweet, deep kisses. When Yazoo pulled away, gently, Reno gasped with the pain of the loss. "You see," said Yazoo quietly, "I didn't realise how selfish I was being. Of course you want to help me; I can make anyone want to do anything for me. That is Sephiroth's legacy. But Sephiroth, I think, is no longer a moral entity, and I am. Thank you for all you've done for me. I'll be all right now. I'll live here until I work out why I've been sent back. You – go back to your life." Reno shook his head. "No! Yaz, I _want_ to help you. I don't want to leave you here…"

"I know. But it's only Sephiroth's power that's holding you. If you knew me without the glamour of that…I'm nothing. I can't allow you to risk your life for me. All that – flirting. The childishness. I shouldn't have done that." His smile was as compelling as ever. "Although – you are beautiful. I do wish things could be different…" Yazoo seized Reno's wrists suddenly and pulled him into a passionate embrace. This time his kiss was fierce and hard and irresistible. Reno could do nothing but kiss him back – he had no coherent thoughts, only sensation and the most intense desire he had ever known. As suddenly as it had started it was over. Yazoo flung Reno away from him and cried, "Leave! Go while you can! This isn't me – it isn't only me!"

"B – but I love –"

"No you don't! You don't know what you're saying. Reno, please, go back to your life, your work. Please! I can't control…I can't help it…"

"I'll help you. Together we can –"

"No! You don't understand. Can you defeat Sephiroth? Can you resist Sephiroth?"

"No." Reno was staring at Yazoo, his green eyes wide with shock. "Yaz, you're not Sephiroth. That was Kadaj. Sephiroth is dead."

"So was I. I don't know what I am, Reno. But I'm scared. Scared for myself, and for you. Go. At least for now. Go back to the bar, get your phone, stick to the plan. Go to the market later, then get the train home. Go to work tomorrow as normal. You'll be okay, then."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be all right as long as I know you're safe."

"Promise me you'll find me if you need me."

"I promise, Reno." Yazoo smiled, painfully. "Now go, while I'm still myself."

"Okay. But - I will see you again?"

"Yes, Reno. Goodbye, beautiful." Yazoo gently steered Reno through the door, and locked it behind him. Then he sank down onto one of the battered couches and wept. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked. In his head, a familiar, cool voice replied, "You're wrong about me, avatar. I am once again a moral entity. You shouldn't be afraid – you are not Kadaj."

"Sephiroth?"

"It was me who brought you back."

"But – why - how?"

"When I returned through Kadaj the lifesteam had washed away so much of my past – my memories - I was as much Jenova as Sephiroth then. Then I wanted to destroy everything. I wanted to become Jenova again – to return to my origins and to build a new world…But…being in my body again, fighting Cloud again, seeing this world again through my own eyes…those scattered fragments in the Lifestream reassembled. I remember…I remember how I used to be before I discovered Shin-Ra's betrayal. I was…I thought I was…a hero. But I was just a Shin-Ra killer. Only, I was the best Shin-Ra killer there has ever been. I was designed for it. I was deadly, and beautiful, and I killed without asking why, and Jenova inside me made me desire the deaths and the devastation. But now I have my self – my soul – back again, and I know I can fulfil the destiny I should have had if I had been made perfect. But without the Jenova cells, I can't return corporeally. At least, not yet. When I have discovered more of the secrets of the Lifestream, perhaps it will be possible. You are only an avatar. The Lifestream makes creatures like you easily enough. I brought you back so that when the time comes you can fulfil my commands and bring about a better world. You have come to set things right…but…you returned a little early. I was new-born to consciousness of my self. I did not intend you to return before I could communicate with you. But you are safe from Shin-Ra here, for now."

"So – what must I do? I have no sense of connection. I feel – adrift. Am I…real?"

In Yazoo's mind, Sephiroth laughed. "You are real enough for my purpose, avatar. For now, you only need to wait. When I am strong enough, then we will act."

"What about…Reno?"

"The red-haired Turk? He is not important to my plans. Amuse yourself as you wish."

"I want…to keep him safe."

"Oh, I don't think you do. If you wanted that, you wouldn't have kissed him the second time."

"I…couldn't help…"

"Don't worry, avatar. Soon you will have other targets for your power."

"What do you mean?" But Sephiroth had fallen silent. Yazoo asked aloud, "What do you mean?" There was no reply.

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Thanks for reading! Reviews would be very much appreciated...


	2. Chapter 2

Reno just can't get Yazoo out of his head...

Addicted

Reno slept fitfully and woke early, thinking about Yazoo alone in that crappy apartment. He was trying hard _not_ to think about the way Yazoo had kissed him – trying not to admit that those kisses had been the best, the most intense, of his entire life – trying not to let the images in his head get him all worked up like – "Ah Fuck!" he exclaimed, jumping out of bed before he gave in to temptation, running for the shower and turning it all the way to _cold_. "I have to get to work – talk to Rude – get my head back where it should be. What was that, yesterday? Did I almost tell Yazoo that I _loved_ him? I must be goin' crazy, yo!" Dressing quickly, Reno ran his fingers through his still-wet hair and touched the diamond in his left ear. He remembered Yazoo's teasing question: "Does this mean we're going steady?"

"No way, Yaz. I am not interested. _So_ not interested," lied Reno to himself, shrugging on his jacket and checking the pockets for the phone he'd retrieved from the bar yesterday. Phone, keys, wallet – okay. He was half way to the Shin-Ra building before he realised he'd left his cigarettes and lighter in his apartment. Two days since he'd smoked, and he hadn't even missed it? Something was definitely very wrong.

When Reno reached his desk, he was surprised to find that no-one else was in the office. He looked at the neat piles of paper stacked on Rude's desk, the colour-coded trays on Elena's, the chaotic mess on his own. "Oh well, that's one job I can do," he thought, and started to tidy up. He became so absorbed in the task that he didn't notice Tseng approach until the director said in an astonished voice, "Reno?"

"Oh – yeah, hi boss."

"You're…_early_."

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep."

"You're tidying your desk!"

"Well – it was a bit messy."

'Hmm. Are you feeling all right? Been drinking too much coffee again?" Reno shook his head vigorously, leaping up from his chair to deposit a pile of paper in the new Shin-Ra recycling bin. "No. Don't feel much like coffee, come to think of it." Tseng said nothing, but noticed Reno's restless movements, his too-bright eyes, and came to his own conclusions. "Good day yesterday?" he asked. Reno's expression was startled for an instant, then he nodded too many times and said, "Oh, yeah. There's a good bar I know in Sector Five. Spent a lot of time there. Spent a stupid amount of money…" He indicated the diamond stud in his left ear. "You like?"

"Very…flashy."

"Wanted a change. I'm…changin' stuff."

"So I see. Well, it's nice to see you here the right side of 'on time' for once." Tseng left Reno to his compulsive tidying, but he resolved to talk to Rude. When he got to his own office he called up Reno's files on his laptop, and studied them, frowning. "So when we first picked you up the blood tests showed…Fireseed and Dash. Well, that's fairly standard for a street kid – it's not that." Scrolling down a few pages, Tseng stopped abruptly when he saw a red warning attached to a report. Tseng winced when he looked at the case – a hit against a traitor that had gone very badly wrong. He remembered it. Not Reno's fault, it had to be said. He had taken out the target as instructed. But security had screwed up badly – the wife had got away from them somehow, with the child, and headed back into the house just as Reno had been coming out. The Shin-Ra snipers on the roof opposite had shot them both dead at his feet. And the warning said Hype. Hype in Reno's blood tests a month later should have meant instant dismissal, but Veld had somehow persuaded President Shinra to be lenient, in view of the circumstances, and the fact that it was only Reno's second hit. He scanned the rest of the files quickly, but as he thought, Reno had been clean ever since. If killing Yazoo had put him back on that road…Tseng shook his head. He'd been impressed that Reno had come off the stuff the first time; Hype was an evil drug – the most addictive on the market – and not many people who tried it ever got clean. Tseng didn't think anyone could do it twice. "I hope I'm wrong," he thought, flicking back through the files to remind himself about Reno's hellish childhood. Reno had come through so much to become Tseng's trusted second in command, and although plenty of things about him still drove Tseng crazy – his casual approach to dress and deadlines, his slangy speech, his constant joking around, his restlessness and recklessness and impetuosity –still, he _liked_ Reno. The organization would be a much more boring place without him.

When Rude and Elena turned up within seconds of each other at just before nine, Reno's desk was neater than they'd ever seen it, and he was busy writing reports. Elena went up to him at once and laid a cool little hand on his forehead. "Feverish. Thought so. Reno, you're clearly not well. Go home and rest."

"Yeah – funny," commented Reno. "Can't I decide to sort stuff out without everyone having some cute opinion on the matter?"

"No!" exclaimed Elena and Rude together. Rude looked at Reno's new earring and said, "Nice ice."

"Bought it yesterday. Tseng thinks it's flashy."

"Well – you love flashy."

Reno looked up and grinned. "Hell yeah."

Tseng appeared in the doorway and said quietly, "Rude, a word, please." Rude looked at him, suddenly serious, and headed to the director's office. Elena leant on Reno's newly neat desk in a mock-provocative manner. "So, Reno, buying diamonds, huh?" she purred. "Someone you're trying to impress? Maybe you'd impress her more if you bought one for her? Attached to a ring, perhaps?"

"'Cause that's gonna happen. No, Laney, just felt like a change." Elena sighed and wandered over to the coffee machine. "Want one Reno?"

"Uh – no thanks. Sorta gone off coffee."

"_What_? Now I know you're ill. Ill, or pregnant, or in love." She was busy trying to extract the flimsy plastic cup holding her own coffee from the machine without scalding her fingers, so she didn't see the confusion that flashed across Reno's face for an instant before he composed himself. He laughed and said, "None of the above, that I know off. Maybe I'm coming down with something?"

"Uh. Well don't give it to me – I've got two assignments this week that I can't afford to miss."

In Tseng's office the mood was much less light-hearted. "I thought my instructions were quite clear. Keep an eye on him, I said."

"Yes, Sir. But I stayed with him all evening, and saw him home. I'm sure he just went to bed."

"And he didn't show any interest in this blonde girl?"

"Not really. She was keen. It's certainly out of character. But shooting the remnant can't have been easy."

"No. Rude – is there any chance he could have taken anything?"

"Not a chance. He drinks way too much, and smokes non-stop, but he doesn't touch drugs. Never has." Tseng wanted to keep Reno's past confidential if possible. The Hype incident had happened before Rude became Reno's partner. Rude seemed uncomfortable. He said, "Sir, Reno may not always show it, but this job is everything to him. He wouldn't risk it. He's probably just a bit – fazed – by the remnant. I know he…affected me." This was an almost unprecedented speech from the taciturn Rude, and Tseng was touched. "I expect you're right. Just – keep an eye on him." Tseng knew he would have to check up on Reno, but he decided not to get Rude involved. Whatever happened, Reno was going to need a friend. Tseng closed Reno's files without adding any notes, and nodded to himself. He would watch, for now. He wouldn't raise his concerns with the president. Thinking of an excuse to get Reno's blood tested, he decided to wait for the results before making any firm choices. He looked up. "Thank you, Rude. Can you ask Reno to come up here please?"

"Yes, Sir."

Reno bounded into the office. "Sir? Rude said you wanted to see me." Always verging on the hyperactive, today Reno could hardly keep still for a second. "Sit down Reno." Reno sat, but the fingers of his left hand drummed against his thigh, and he tapped his right foot against the floor. Tseng sighed and said, "There's a slight concern that the remnant passing into the Lifestream so close to you may have caused some cellular contamination. It's a low risk, but we need to do some tests. Get down to the lab and get checked over will you?"

"Contamination?"

"Nothing serious. The Lifestream energy is Mako energy, in effect. You haven't noticed your eyes going bluer have you?"

"No – but, haven't looked, yo."

"You seem a little – on edge."

"Can't sleep."

"And you've gone off stimulants? Coffee…"

"Well – yeah. But – you know there'll be a lot of alcohol in my blood, right? That's not a problem, is it?"

"No, that's perfectly legitimate. Don't worry, Reno. Just get checked over."

"Yes, Boss. Can I go?" Reno was on his feet in a second, and heading for the labs. Tseng watched him go, not reassured. Something was making him twitchy, and if it wasn't drugs then Tseng needed to know what was going on.

For the first time in anyone's memory Reno finished all his paperwork. Then he started to drive them all crazy, pacing round the office, complaining about being bored. "Reno – it's you. Have a coffee – relax – look out of the window," Elena said. "You're good at that – it's what you do best." She gathered up her papers, phone and bag, then unlocked her desk drawer and slipped her gun into its holster beneath her neat jacket. "I have to go. Reno – try not to get on Rude's nerves."

"Can't I come with you? I need something to do, yo!"

"No Reno. It's only recon anyway. Get the boss to send you somewhere."

"I will. I'll go ask him." Reno headed off to Tseng's office. Rude looked at Elena and rolled his eyes. She smiled brightly, said, "Good luck!" and left the room. Rude sighed, and glanced over at Reno's tidy desk. Somehow it threw the room off balance. He was used to seeing piles of paper and files and old coffee cups out of the corner of his eye as he worked. The newly pristine space was unsettling.

Tseng looked up as Reno burst into the room, having given the most casual of knocks while already opening the door. "Reno. Again. Well, I'm glad to see you, actually. Your blood tests are clear – except for the alcohol, as we thought." Tseng's impassive tone gave no hint as to the relief he felt.

"Good. No Mako in my system?"

"None."

"So – Boss, you gotta give me something to do. I feel…I don't know. I can't be still."

"Is this because of Yazoo, do you think?" At the mention of the remnant's name Reno flinched and shot a startled look at Tseng before nodding. "Yeah, I do. I can't sleep for thinking about it. It's wrong – I've handled worse things – you know…"

"I know, Reno. We all have. But this is different. We all felt it."

"Just keep me busy, yo?" Reno hated not being able to tell Tseng the real reason he felt so restless, but Yazoo's safety depended on it. One of the first things they taught you as a Turk– although Reno had known it already from four months spent dodging a Hype-addict father and being on the streets – was to keep your lies close to the truth. Tseng was looking thoughtful. "I was going to assign Cissnei to this, but I guess you and Rude could go." He took a file from the desk and handed it to Reno. "We've been keeping an eye on this new group –Pure Planet. It's small at the moment – a religious movement – arguing for the end of human influence over the planet. At first they said the aim was to persuade people not to have children so that the planet could return to nature free from parasites – as they call humanity. However, there seems to be a new faction emerging, with a more radical agenda. Their leader's a man called Eik Vazy, and he's been demanding retribution against those who caused the destruction – mainly anyone associated with Shin-Ra."

"You want I should take him out, yo?" Reno looked positively enthusiastic for once. Tseng shook his head. "No Reno. That would give the group all the ammunition they need to win new recruits! This is just recon. Now, can you do this, or are you too distracted? It's not going to be exciting. Routine recon – that's it. It'll just get you out of the office."

"I can do it. I'm fine."

"All right. Go and get Rude, and I'll give you the full brief."

"Yes Sir." Reno jumped up from the chair and headed for the door with unprecedented alacrity. Tseng sighed and shook his head, hoping that he hadn't just made a very bad call.

Reno and Rude sat in a car across the street from the newly built Church of the Pure Planet – part of the Sector Five Regeneration Project. They'd been there for two hours, and not a soul had entered or exited the building. Always quiet, Rude had lapsed into complete silence. Reno was about ready to explode. He began tapping his right hand against the steering wheel and flicking between channels on the radio until Rude finally snapped, "I can't believe you asked to come on this job!"

"Yeah, well that makes two of us. What the hell was I _thinking_?" Reno ran his fingers through his fiery hair and sighed. "I just wanted to get out of the office. Which is stupid, because this morning I thought that's where I wanted to be! Ah – this sucks big time. It's not like we can do anything except watch – Tseng said they know our faces; we're probably on _their_ hit list."

"Yeah."

"Tseng most likely wanted me out of the office as much as I wanted to go. I can't seem to settle to anything. I'm all – kinda – itchy- you know? It's like I just can't keep still."

"I'd noticed." Rude watched Reno fidgeting for a few minutes longer and couldn't stand it any more. "Look, Reno, this job doesn't need two of us. Go for a walk or something – burn some energy. I never thought I'd say this, but buy some cigarettes – please." Reno looked at Rude, astonished. "_You_ want cigarettes?" Rude sighed. "No Reno. You _need_ them. You need something, anyway. Go on. I'll finish off here. You – sort yourself out, then go home and sleep."

"Sure?"

"Yeah. Go on. Oh – give me your phone."

"What?"

"Against regulations to split up on a job. You know what Tseng's like about regulations. You know they trace the phones all the time."

"But – what if you need back up?"

"Watching a church? Tseng said no contact. If anyone approaches I'll just drive away. Drop by mine later, and pick up your phone."

"Thanks, partner." Reno pulled up the hood of the black top he was wearing, so as to hide his distinctive red hair, and got out of the car. Rude clambered over into the driver's seat and waved. Reno started walking, and ended up back in the bar where he'd been the previous day. He bought a beer, a packet of cigarettes and a lighter, and tried to smoke, but ended up staring out of the window while the cigarette burned itself to ashes between his fingers. He knew what he needed and it wasn't this. He left the beer bottle three quarters full on the table, and went out into the streets. Wandering round Sector Five he found himself at the market, where he pretended to look at the various stalls, and then on through the back streets until he came to a dark alley and a brown-brick building with an iron fire-escape. For a long time he just stood looking up at the windows of Yazoo's apartment feeling more restless than ever. He knew this feeling from years ago – after that damned hit where the woman and the kid…he still couldn't let himself think about it or he'd start to see those images again – the ones the Hype had helped to fade. This was the feeling the drug had given him after the shattering high and the merciful oblivion that followed it – the irresistible craving for more. Knowing it was stupid and dangerous, Reno climbed the fire-escape and knocked on the door. For a long time there was no reply. Reno put his face close to the spy-hole so that if Yazoo was there he'd know it was him. At last the door opened just wide enough to let him in, and Yazoo's calm voice said, "Reno. Come in." Reno slipped inside, closed the door behind him and said, "I'm sorry, Yaz. I had to see you." Yazoo smiled sadly, his angelic face somehow managing to look innocent and provocative at the same time. "Of course you did," he said softly. "I knew you would."

"Don't tell me to go," said Reno. Under normal circumstances he would have hated the note of desperation in his own voice - now he cared about nothing but Yazoo.

"I _should_ tell you to go…" Was Yazoo teasing, or genuinely uncertain? Reno had no idea. Before Yazoo could say another word, Reno stepped forward, pulled him into a hard embrace, and kissed him. As soon as his mouth touched Yazoo's soft lips he knew that he'd found the drug he needed. Yazoo didn't even pretend to resist. He was a creature designed for seduction and he understood how to respond to Reno's present helpless desire instinctively, allowing everything and demanding nothing. He gasped as Reno pulled him down onto one of the couches, and found himself sighing with pleasure as Reno kissed his mouth and his throat and moved lower, exploring his body with his tongue and his hands. Yazoo was not acting his desire; his nature was as much inclined to be seduced as to be the seducer. Since being sent back here, away from his brothers, he had felt vulnerable and incomplete. He hated being alone in this apartment and although he had sent Reno away, he had longed for his inevitable return. Now he felt needed and desired – the things he craved most of all – but he also felt need and desire for Reno with an intensity that surprised him. Reno had almost no experience of being with another man, but he was a skilful lover and he soon found that doing the things that usually gave him pleasure seemed to make Yaz happy too. It was easy because he wanted Yazoo more than he had ever wanted anyone, and Yaz was breathtakingly beautiful, and seemed to understand him without having to say a word. Yaz murmured, "Reno, Reno!" and shuddered against him, and sighed, "You're everything I ever needed." Reno lost all track of time. At some point they had moved into the bedroom, and they lay in a tangle of limbs and half-discarded clothing and red and silver hair and kisses, until they both drifted into sleep.

Hours later, Yazoo opened his eyes. The room was dark, but there was enough moonlight filtering through the thin curtains for him to see Reno's face. He looked at the sleeping man beside him with a sense of wonder and a feeling he couldn't remember experiencing before – not like this. Gratitude. Love. "Hello beautiful," he whispered, keeping still so that Reno wouldn't wake. It had begun as a way of getting to the Turk, calling him beautiful, a way of regaining some sense of power in that Shin-Ra cell – but even at the start it had been true as well. Yazoo looked at Reno in the moonlight - dark lashes closed on such pale skin, high cheekbones emphasised by those two curving red claw-mark tattoos – that beautiful mouth…Yazoo smiled, but his smile was very sad. "And I believed I could make _you_ love _me_," he thought. "I wish you could love me," he sighed. In his mind Sephiroth laughed. "Reno is a pawn. He is not capable of loving you. He gave his soul to Shinra long ago. All he thinks he loves in you, is me. You are nothing without me – a puppet – just as Kadaj was. If I ever left you, Reno would feel nothing for you. He desires you now – he can't help it – his soul is drawn to my power. But that isn't love. It just means – that for now – you represent a greater force for him than Rufus Shinra does."

"You think he loves Rufus Shinra?" Yazoo's own voice sounded uncertain in his mind. Was it his voice at all? Or was it all Sephiroth? Was he really only an avatar? But if so, why did he feel…

Sephiroth laughed again. "Loves? Hates? What does it matter? He is bound to Rufus Shinra. He _needs_ Rufus Shinra. He has nothing else. Long ago he allowed the first President Shinra to become his conscience. They are all Shinra's lapdogs, as Genesis used to say. Rufus Shinra would doubtless consider that a crude metaphor, but it is accurate."

"I could give him a reason to be more than that," Yazoo responded. "Love could lead him away from Shinra…And even Shinra, you know, since Cloud defeated you, since the dark one restrained Omega, Shinra has been trying to put things right. The people you hated are dead. Hojo is gone. The old president is gone – you killed him. What is it you want, Sephiroth?"

"I want to undo Shin-Ra, and start again. Rufus Shinra is too like his father – he still thinks he's god. I will destroy Shin-Ra, and then I will rebuild the world, perfectly. I told you - this time, I will fulfil the destiny I should have had, if I had been created perfect. This world needs a god – but not in the form of Rufus Shinra. This time I have chosen you – _I_ have chosen, not Jenova. It is as I told you at the start – you have come to set things right. The world will love me, in you, just as Reno does. I will be the hero I was meant to be – I will save the world, instead of destroying it. You will become the leader of the planet, until I can return in a corporeal form. I will be its god."

"So – what do I have to do?"

"You have to destroy Rufus Shinra, and take his place as president."

"Why must I destroy him? I can make him love me…He would do anything…"

"He is too strong. In time his will would break free. He is not a god, but his spirit is very powerful. You know, his father still exists, in the Lifestream, as a separate consciousness? Rufus Shinra could never be controlled…unless, perhaps, you were prepared to love him, instead of Reno."

"I couldn't. I love Reno."

"You are an avatar. You love no-one, really."

"I love Reno."

"Poor avatar. Your love is an illusion. Your whole being is only a shadow of me. Well – keep your sad dream for a little longer. You do realise, I hope, that your Reno has no idea what to do with the love we have engendered in him? He will surrender to it, and die for you, because he can't help himself. He has no way to live with such feelings. Shin-Ra was his family and his cause. This love he feels for us – for you, if you wish – tears him away from those things, and leaves him with nothing to hold to but you. A shadow. A puppet. My poor, beautiful avatar."

"You're wrong," whispered Yazoo. "I won't listen to you any more! Get out of my head! I love Reno, and he will love me. He will!" Sephiroth only replied, "We have time. Let's see what becomes of your love…"

Reno stirred, and opened his blue-green eyes. He smiled at Yazoo. "Yaz…"

"…Beautiful…" Yazoo's voice caught, and Reno was instantly awake. "Yaz? What's wrong?"

"What are we doing? This is impossible! You should go."

"Yaz…I can't be without you. As soon as I'm away from you I start to feel like I'm going out of my mind thinking about you!"

"Not me. Him. Sephiroth."

"No! You, Yaz." Reno caught Yazoo in his arms, and tried to kiss him, but Yaz pulled away. "You don't understand – it isn't me you want – it's Sephiroth's power. That's the drug you're hooked on. I'm just – a shadow."

"We're all shadows, Yaz. I'm just a Turk – and that's what we are – shadows, spooks, assassins in the dark. You know, I've done things…" Reno sat up, abruptly. "You're right – I should go. I'm no good for you. And I have to get back to work – go to Rude's, get my phone…"

"You should leave. You shouldn't come back."

"Ah, Yaz. I don't think I could keep away. Even if I wanted to." Reno went to the bathroom to shower and then dressed quickly, not looking at Yaz. He said, "But I shouldn't have come. It's just putting us both in danger."

"You're right." Yazoo followed Reno to the door, and looked at him unhappily. "Go, Reno. Forget about me."

"Wish I could, Yaz." Reno waved vaguely, and turned to go. Yaz's breath caught. Reno hesitated, and Yaz said – "Reno…" They found themselves clinging together in the doorway, joined in a helpless, longing kiss. "Don't leave me!"

"Let me come back!"

"Come back," Yazoo sighed.

"Yes," Reno promised. "Soon. As soon as I can."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Reviews would be much appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

Don't Ask

Just like being on Hype, Reno found that his current addiction demanded to be fed more and more frequently. Visiting Yazoo brought instant relief from the longing that had seized his soul, and a few hours of peace. But as soon as he returned to Shin-Ra it would begin again; the restlessness, the inability to concentrate, the jittery sensations that started off irritating and soon became unbearable. Tseng was worried. He knew that Reno was struggling with demons: he didn't know what he could do about it. It was too risky to send him on any active assignments – he was far too unpredictable, and Tseng would not risk any of the other operatives along side him. As the days passed it was becoming clear to Tseng that he was not going to be able to keep Reno's condition from the president for much longer. Rude told him what he believed to be the truth – that almost every day Reno went home after work and stayed there, unless he was out with Rude and Elena. As far as Tseng could discover that was exactly what he did, but it was difficult to be sure because the bugs in Reno's apartment had mysteriously stopped working about a year ago, and at the time Tseng had decided that he trusted Reno enough not to order them replaced. Besides, he had worried that the assignment might prove lethal for whoever was sent to do it – Reno valued his privacy. According to his phone signal he was at home though. Tseng made a mental note to send a couple of the new recruits to spy on the building, just in case.

At first Reno had been able to hold out for three or four days at a time, and had forced himself to go out with Rude and Elena sometimes, just to keep things looking normal. They would go to bars and clubs, and Reno would make himself crack jokes, as usual, and drink beer that tasted of nothing, and smoke cigarettes that just made his throat dry. He even flirted half-heartedly with girls, but gave up as soon as they seemed interested. Rude watched these exchanges but said nothing. Elena made a few comments – "What's up Reno? Losing your touch?" – but Reno only shrugged. He wasn't fooling either of them, but he felt he had to try.

Recently though he couldn't even manage that much. Now – two months after Yazoo had come back – Reno needed to see him almost every day, or the pressure became insupportable. When work was over – another boring day at the office for Reno, who was too distracted even to be sent on routine surveillance now – Rude said, "Come for a drink?" Reno shook his head. "Thanks – can't. I need to sleep."

"So…you're sleeping okay now?" Rude was shocked to see a completely disproportionate anger blazing in his partner's green eyes. "Am I fuck! That's why I need it, yo! For fuck's sake, where do you get off with all the questions?"

Rude held up his hands. "Whoa, Reno!" As rapidly as it had flared up, Reno's anger was gone. "Ah, sorry man. Sorry." He shook his head. "I…I'm all…ah… I'll see you tomorrow, yo." Rude nodded, but as soon as Reno had gone, he set off after his friend. He wasn't prepared to see Reno in this state any more – he was determined to find out what was going on.

Rude followed Reno back to his building, and watched him enter the front door. He saw the two juniors Tseng must have sent, sitting in a car that was way too flashy for the neighbourhood, looking exactly like the couple of spooks they were. Rude laughed to himself. So Reno could've been anywhere these last few weeks – he must have recognised those two for what they were the second they pulled up. What was Tseng thinking? Keeping out of sight of the car – because he really didn't want Tseng to know he was doing a little out-of-hours assignment of his own – Rude slipped around to the back of the building and ducked into a shadowy doorway from where the windows of Reno's apartment were visible. Rude waited. Between the high buildings the sky flushed blood-red, then darkened gradually; violet, bruise-purple, black. Silently one of the windows opened and a hooded figure in dark clothes emerged and climbed straight down three storeys, finding hand- and foot-holds in rough brick work and chipped corners. Rude had to admire his partner's agility even while worrying about what this meant Reno had got himself mixed up in. The difficult thing would be to keep him in view: of the pair of them it was Reno who was the good tracker. Reno jumped the last few feet to the ground and glanced around quickly, then he was off, walking rapidly, keeping to the shadows. Rude followed as best he could, but he soon became aware of another presence nearby. Damn – Tseng had obviously positioned someone round the back – someone much more subtle than the two rookie spooks. It was only years of surveillance work that enabled Rude to sense this other person at all – a gut feeling of being tailed that was almost always right. Rude ducked back into another doorway and waited. He counted seconds in heartbeats – nineteen, twenty – and just as he'd thought, a dark figure glided past his hiding place and on, in pursuit of Reno. Drawing his handgun, Rude followed the figure. His thoughts were racing – was this just surveillance, or had the notoriously cautious Rufus Shinra decided that Reno was too much of a risk to the company in his present jittery state? And if this guy did turn out to be a Shin-Ra assassin, what the hell was Rude going to do? He hoped it wouldn't come down to a choice between Shin-Ra and Reno. As a Turk he knew where his loyalties lay, but - The sudden roar of a powerful engine exploded into the silence of the night. Rude cursed and ducked down behind a parked car as the alleyway was lit up by the headlight of a motorbike heading straight down the middle of the street. Rude heard rapid footsteps as someone chased the bike for a few paces. He peered cautiously around the bumper of the car and, in the dim light of the streetlamps at the other end of the alley, he saw Tseng, gun trained down the street, frowning. He raised his own gun, but knew that it was too late for Tseng to shoot – Reno was long gone. Tseng shook his head and murmured something that looked like "Reno". Rude stayed out of sight and waited for Tseng to leave, but then he heard the director's voice from a few feet away. "Sir – I lost him. He's on a bike. No – no plates. He must have hidden it somewhere nearby…Sir – yes, but can I suggest…No…but before we resort to that let me try again… Yes, if only because I trained him to resist interrogation, and he's one of the best…No. No, I see that… Yes, Sir." Tseng rang off and sighed audibly. Rude closed his eyes. So they were going to bring Reno in for questioning. Rude hadn't worked for Shin-Ra for the last thirteen years without knowing in quite sickening detail what that meant. He waited until he was sure Tseng had gone, then began walking back the way he'd come. He wasn't going home tonight. He was going back to Reno's building, and he was going to warn his former partner when he returned from whatever he was doing. It was all he could do.

Reno dumped the bike some streets away from Yazoo's apartment and left the keys in the ignition. With any luck at all it would be spare parts in a few hours' time. He ran the rest of the way, adrenaline and need pulsing through his system. _Two_ tails – not just the idiot duo out front. Tseng was getting serious. Reno knew he was heading for destruction, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't take Yaz with him, though. Without Yaz… "I'll have tonight," he told himself. "After tonight nothing matters. If they come for me…well, it's a way out of this mess." He found that the thought didn't even bother him anymore. The whole of his world was contracted into this tiny space – this apartment…he knocked on the door softly…this moment…Yazoo, opening the door, letting him in. Reno fell into his lover's arms with a cry of pain and longing.

"Shh, it's all right," murmured Yazoo, holding Reno against him, stroking his red hair. "I'm here." The hours that Reno was away from him were wasted hours, Yazoo felt. He wished that Sephiroth had no plan – he lived for Reno's visits. But he could feel that Reno was not well, and that every time he came he seemed more desperate, more disinclined to return to his other life. Now he was surprised and dismayed to see tears on Reno's pale cheeks. He had never seen Reno cry. "What is it? What's wrong?" Reno blinked the tears away, angry with himself. "I was followed tonight. Don't worry – I had the bike. They weren't expecting that. I lost them. But it means that Tseng has decided I'm a risk. They'll take me in soon. I won't be able to come here after tonight."

"Take you in?" Yaz's usually cool voice was tight with anxiety. "What do you mean?"

"Take me in for questioning. Like they did with you, the first time."

"But – they wouldn't do the things to you that they did to me. I was an enemy – you're one of them." Reno wiped his eyes with his fingers, and laughed. "Oh, they'll do all they did to you, and more. I've had training in how to resist interrogation. I know what they'll do."

"They're not going to hurt you."

"Yeah, they are, Yaz. But don't worry – I'll never give you up to them. If I think I'm gonna crack, I know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I know a lot of ways to die."

"No! No!" Yazoo's tone was frantic. "Don't talk about it! If you die, I'll die. I love you, Reno." It was the first time Yazoo had said those words aloud. Reno smiled and said, "This has been such a good dream, yo. But it has to end. I can't control anything any more – I don't even care what they do to me. But you have to be safe. You have to leave here after tonight, and don't come back. Don't tell me where you might go. Don't give me any information I might give them. I'll try not to tell them you're back, but I don't know if I'll be able to hold out forever. They…do all these tests when you join. They know what gets to you."

"Reno, this isn't going to happen. You can't go back there. I'll run if you tell me to, but you have to come with me!"

"Don't tempt me. I would – like a shot. But I can't."

"Why not? You don't owe them anything. You worked for them for so long, and this is how they treat you? Just leave."

"If I run, they'll send my partner after me. It's company policy. It's designed to prevent mutiny. Rude would have to kill me, and I can't put him through that. Or I would have to kill him, to escape. I'm not doing that either – even assuming I could." Reno kissed Yazoo and said, "Don't talk about it. We have tonight, yo? I just need you tonight, then I'll be strong enough."

"But _I_ won't! I need you Reno. Don't leave me." Yazoo's green eyes were beautiful and terrified. "You're my only reason – I don't care about anything else. Ahh!" Yazoo cried out as if he was in pain.

"Yaz? What's wrong?"

"It's…No…I can't…All right! Get out of my head!"

"Yaz?" Yazoo was breathing hard, but his eyes refocused, and he managed a twisted smile. "It's all right now. It's just, sometimes, I get… Sephiroth's… soul…is still out there. It's like tuning in a radio – sometimes – he tells me to do things I don't want to do…"

"Oh Yaz! Why didn't you tell me? I had no idea it was so…direct. When you talked about Sephiroth I thought you meant your idea of Sephiroth – from before. You mean – you can actually hear him in your mind?" Yazoo nodded miserably. "I thought you wouldn't want me if you knew."

"Yaz, you are _not_ Sephiroth. I'll always want you."

"Then don't leave me."

"There are much better people – ones who won't put you in danger. I'm no good for you. Being with me is putting you at risk every day. And now Shin-Ra's coming after me. I'm a bad person. I've killed so many people – done so many things I regret. Turks aren't supposed to have regrets, yo. I'm so tired of it all. Since you came, nothing else makes any sense. You're the only peace I know."

Yazoo twined his fingers in Reno's red hair, and kissed his mouth with a desperate, longing passion. He murmured words against Reno's lips: "I don't care what you've done. I love you." Reno smiled. "Yeah, Yaz, I love you too. Don't know how it happened, but it's true. C'mon." He took Yazoo's hand, and led him to the bedroom for the last time.

As the sky began to lighten Reno left his lover sleeping and slipped quietly out of the apartment. He felt a kind of peace, even walking away. Remembering how hard it had been to beat the Hype addiction made him smile now: this time it was easy, because this time it was final. He would go into work, and Shin-Ra would do the rest. There wasn't really any other choice except suicide, and that had never been Reno's style.

Rude had spent the night pacing up and down the narrow alley behind Reno's apartment block, trying to keep warm. Staying awake hadn't been a problem – he had never felt more worried. Reno and he were a team – had been for years. If they took Reno in, that meant interrogation and possibly execution, depending on what he'd done. Even if they didn't kill him he'd be out of the Turks and back on the streets – Rufus Shinra didn't give second chances. And if Reno tried to run…Rude didn't want to think about that possibility. It was almost fully light when Reno appeared, walking down the middle of the alley, apparently unconcerned about being seen. Rude stepped out of the doorway he'd been hiding in. Reno seemed only mildly surprised. "Rude…"

"Reno! Where've you been?" Reno shook his head. "Don't ask, partner. No can tell." He smiled, sadly. "You been waitin' here all night? What – to warn me?"

"Yeah. I followed you last night. So did Tseng, turns out. I overheard him phoning the boss after you took off on that bike." Reno grinned, almost like his usual self for an instant. "Neither of you saw that coming, yo!"

"This is serious. They want to take you in."

"Yeah, I figured. Rude – I really appreciate the warning. But keep out of it, yo. I'm in deep shit this time…" he grinned again. "And you have such great shoes. Go to work as usual – I'll be in later." Rude said, "Run Reno. I won't come after you, whatever they do." Reno looked at him, infinitely touched. "Ah, Rude…But I can't do that. You'd be out of the Turks, and they'd only send Tseng instead. Fuck it - this job always sucked anyway."

"Nothing can be so bad you can't tell me! Was Tseng's guess right – are you on something?" Reno looked at Rude, then said, "Yeah. I'm an addict. That's it. Can't give it up, except like this. Ultimate way to get clean, yo?" He sighed. "Go home, Rude. I need to think of you carrying on like normal. I'm gonna get changed. I'll see you in the office." He waved a casual hand as if everything was fine, and walked round to the front of the building, just for the fun of watching the two junior spooks going crazy when they saw him. He sauntered up to the too-clean, too expensive car and tapped on the window. One of the rookies inside stared at him in horror and the other swore. The window rolled down slowly. "Morning, suckers," Reno said cheerfully. "Guess you missed me leaving last night. Might as well go report to Tseng. Tell him…Reno says 'later'." He left them staring at him, open mouthed, and went back to his apartment to get ready for his last day at work.

When Reno arrived at the Shin-Ra building he half expected security to challenge him, but no-one said anything, so he walked in and took the elevator to the office as normal. Elena was at her desk. She looked up at him as he came through the door and said softly, "Oh Reno..." He ignored her tone. "Yo, Laney." He wandered over to his desk, still relatively neat and tidy after his aberrant sorting spree – was it only eight weeks ago? His desk looked just as he left it, but he knew it wouldn't be quite the same. Sliding open the top drawer he smiled to himself – his handgun was gone. "As if I'd just walk in here if I was planning on shooting anyone…" He looked up at Elena. "Where are they?"

"Tseng's on his way. He asked to see Rude when he came in. I suppose they're keeping him out of the way."

"Makes sense. But I'm not gonna go crazy, Laney." He laughed at himself and tapped the side of his head. "I mean – not any crazier."

"What's going on Reno? For fuck's sake just tell them, whatever it is! You can't throw everything away!" Reno put a finger to his lips. "Ssh Laney – don't swear. Not your style, yo. It's okay." He sat on the edge of his desk and waited for Tseng. Elena blinked back tears. "This is all wrong! It's so…stupid!" Reno tried to think of something to say that would comfort her, but failed. He shrugged. "Sometimes – life's a bitch, yo?" Elena tried to laugh. "I guess it is." They both turned to look at the door as Tseng entered. He held one of his long black pistols in his right hand, but it was pointed at the floor. He looked at Reno, his face expressionless, although his mouth twitched as he took in Reno's too-smart uniform; he was actually wearing a tie – for the first and last time. Tseng commented, "I wondered if you might run?" Reno laughed. "Where?"

"Well. Yes." Reno was still sitting on the desk. He asked, "So…?"

"I suppose…down stairs."

"'Kay, yo." Reno followed Tseng out of the room. He waved as he passed Elena's desk. "Later, Laney." She tried to reply, but her voice was a whisper. "Reno…"

The hours dragged by. Reno hadn't been sure exactly what to expect when they'd locked the cell door behind him, but it sure as hell hadn't been boredom. Some guards had appeared about an hour after Tseng had left him in detention, escorting a young doctor who had taken blood without a word, and departed silently. Reno supposed they were checking for drugs again. Well, good luck with that! What he was on couldn't be detected in the blood. "More like under my fucking skin," he thought, feeling the old longing starting up again. "It's a part of me. Can't wash it away. Yaz…run. Run a long way from here. If you get away, maybe this is worth it." The cells really were the pits. When he got out Reno was going to complain big time. Only – he wasn't getting out, was he? For the hundredth time Reno leapt up from the hard metal bench and paced the cell like the caged animal he was. He needed Yaz. Couldn't have Yaz. Couldn't think about anything else. What – this was their plan? They were going to _bore_ him to death? Or maybe they were just going to leave him here until he died? He wondered what he'd die of first – thirst, or frustration. He knew there were cameras watching him. He knew anything he said aloud would be recorded. He paced the five steps it took to cross the cell, back and forth, back and forth. He had no idea how much time had passed. Yaz, Yaz, Yaz. Run! Hours passed. Fucking _hours_! Thirst was beginning to nag at him, but it was not as powerful as the longing for Yazoo. The light in the cell never changed – harsh, white neon. He tried lying on the bench, but it was unyeilding metal. He tried pretending to sleep, but he could only keep it up for a few minutes. He sat on the bench, head on his knees, back against the wall. He remembered Yazoo sitting like this when they'd first brought him in; he'd stayed more or less motionless for three days. Reno managed half an hour, then he started pacing again. He thought about Yaz – he wanted Yaz so bad it hurt. Could you die of wanting someone? He needed water badly now, too, but he was damned if he was going to ask for anything from them. And he wanted Yaz more. Yaz. Yaz. Yaz. Ah fuck this! He stared up at the camera, in the narrow passageway outside the bars of the cell. "I know you bastards can hear me," he said. He waited. No-one came. Time passed. He sat down on the bench. Eventually he lay down on the bench, no longer caring that the metal was cold and hard. Eventually he slept. When he woke there was a plastic jug of water by the door. Reno thought about ignoring it, but he was so thirsty he went to investigate. He knew this tactic. He knew they would've put something in the water – some drug to make him talk most likely. He sniffed the clear liquid cautiously. Yeah – Veraxadine. In training they said to pour it away at once, so you wouldn't be tempted to drink it later when the thirst got worse. Sounded so easy in training. He felt rage burning in his chest, but he controlled it somehow, and made himself smile, as he poured the water through the bars, onto the floor of the corridor. He looked up at the camera, still smiling. He wanted to yell, but he kept his voice even and cold. "Fuck you, Tseng. Fuck you Rufus Shinra." He turned away, and went back to the bench. Eventually they'd inject the drugs anyway – even though they were notoriously unreliable. This was just a test. They were seeing how long he'd hold out. Probably that bastard Shinra's idea – just lost a good operative, but at least we can use him for one more experiment: how well does Shin-Ra's anti-interrogation training work in practice? He thought back over the techniques he'd learned. Maybe some of them would be some use? He folded his arms around his knees again, head down. One of the things they'd advised – admittedly one he'd always been terrible at – was to go somewhere else in your head. Remember good things in your life. Hmm. Good things. He thought of girls he'd known. Some good times – some nice girls. Nothing that meant that much. Nothing that lasted. Friends? Rude. No, he couldn't think about Rude now. He'd start to wonder who his new partner would be – damn, now he _was _thinking about that… Laney? She was cool. Becoming a friend. Never would be now. Tseng…complicated. Sometimes there was something – a smile, a wry comment, an unexpected air of concern. Sometimes he thought Tseng cared about all of them, but sometimes the mask was on, and he was just pure, ruthless efficiency. Rufus? Well, whatever he was, it wasn't a friend. Family? No. Not going there. Yaz. Yeah, that was the good thing. The one really good thing. But he wasn't ever going to see Yaz again. Ah, this technique sucked! He'd just end up wallowing in self-pity. He jumped up again and shouted up at the cameras, "Fuck this! Just come and beat me up or something, yo!" He kicked the bars, but all that achieved was a sore foot. He felt suddenly defeated – felt like crying, in fact – but that wasn't going to happen. He'd die before he gave Rufus fucking Shinra that satisfaction. Reno curled up on the bench again, and closed his eyes. Maybe, if he could sleep, he might dream of Yaz. That would be a kind of peace, for a little while.

Elena didn't care if people knew she'd been crying. She knocked on the door of Tseng's office - a curt, angry knock – and then walked in. Tseng looked up. His face was very pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. Elena didn't care about that either. "I want off this assignment," she said, without preamble. "I can't watch it anymore. Give it to someone who doesn't know him."

"The president insisted. You and me. _Because_ we know him – because we can see when he might be about to crack."

"This is so – cruel!"

"We're Turks! How many people have there been in Shin-Ra cells? You have to see it as another job."

"It's Reno!" Tseng gripped Elena's arms, his face suddenly deadly. "I know," he snarled. "You think I don't feel anything? You think I don't mind? But we have to do it. We have to know what he's on, or what he's been doing, because the company might be compromised."

"Oh! I know! But he'll die Tseng! Can't we start asking questions or something?" Tseng let her go, and walked away. He stared down at the streets of Edge. "We're going to hydrate. It's been three days. Then we'll start asking questions."

"Thank Gaia! I can't watch him any more." With the ghost of a smile Tseng said, "But he's good, isn't he? He was always strong. I've never known anyone last this long without offering something. Except…the remnant."

"He's only slept six hours out of seventy-two. He's jittery as hell, but he's holding on. I don't believe he's on drugs." Elena sighed. "We don't have any proof that he's done anything wrong!"

"No. I don't think he's on drugs, either. Definitely not Hype. There's been no shaking, no vomiting, no hallucinations. And we sent his blood for more detailed tests – nothing. The weird thing is, he's cleaner than normal. Alcohol down, caffeine virtually non-existent, even nicotine is lower than usual."

"You can't condemn someone for improving his life-style! This is so stupid!" Tseng shook his head at Elena's outburst. "Well, you'll get the chance to make him tell us the truth. The president has ordered that you conduct the interrogation from now on."

"Me? No. No way."

"It makes sense. He won't know how to respond to you. He won't want to fight, like he would if I went in there. I know this is hard, Elena, but…try to see it as a test. A really challenging assignment. You can do it. You have to do it. It's a presidential directive. Neither of us has a choice."

Yazoo had done what Reno had told him to, and run. He had taken a bag with clothes, blankets, food and the rest of Reno's money, and he'd worn a long coat with a deep hood, and he'd locked the apartment and walked away. He'd walked for more than a day, and finally reached the Forgotten City. Every so often Sephiroth's voice in his head would try to persuade him to turn back, but he was getting better at shutting it out. Sephiroth told him that it was time to act against Shin-Ra – to use his powers of seduction to get to Rufus. Yazoo refused to listen to that. "Shut up, Sephiroth! Reno is the only one who matters! None of the others have any _meaning_." Once Sephiroth had said something so terrible that Yazoo had drawn the knife he had brought from the apartment, and held it across his own wrist until the voice stopped. The trouble was, the words had been spoken: _your beloved Reno is probably already dead. _Yazoo remembered running the blade lightly across the pale skin of his wrist, drawing blood in a thin, curved line, like the red tattoos along Reno's cheekbones. "Then I'll die too," he had said. "And if you make me come back, I'll just keep on dying. There's no point being alive without him." For the first time, Yazoo had sensed something like fear in Sephiroth's dark mind. "No. You have to live. If Reno is alive, we might be able to save him. But you will need my strength."

"As you need my body. I will decide what to do, Sephiroth. But keep out of my mind, and my dreams." He had heard the echo of Sephiroth's laughter in his mind. "So, you're stronger than Kadaj, after all. I should have known. Cloud was always trying to tell me about love being stronger than hate. I never thought of it as a weapon. But don't wait too long if you want to save your little Turk. Shin-Ra is not a forgiving organization…" Now, for several days, Sephiroth had been silent. Yazoo could still sense his brooding presence sometimes, hovering on the edges of perception. Among the ghostly trees, beside the shimmering materia pool, Yazoo sat down to think. He was silent and still, only his silver hair moving a little in the breeze. When he thought about Reno, he sometimes found himself crying, but he felt no shame in that. When he thought about his brothers in the Lifestream, or the one he had thought of as his mother, or even Sephiroth, he felt lonely – an outcast. Most of all he felt directionless – an assortment of random thoughts and emotions assembled on the wind, easily scattered. As so often when he was alone, he wondered if he were real. As time passed, he began to consider whether there was anything he could do. When he thought that, he felt Sephiroth's mind stirring. Kadaj had understood about action. He would have known what to do. Even Loz would have done _something_ as the fancy took him, although it might have been the exact opposite of what was needed. But Yazoo…he was only supposed to make people love him. And now no-one did – no-one except Reno, who might be…Who might not even be alive.

There came a time of darkness, and moonlight and soft stars shining through the white branches. Yazoo thought it was very beautiful, and he found that tears came again, because Reno wasn't there to see it with him. He couldn't imagine Reno in this place – he seemed to belong to the city. Could Reno see the moonlight from where he was now? Was he shut in that horrible cell – all harsh lines and light and metal edges – where Yazoo had been imprisoned; where he had died? Reno didn't belong there either– not Reno, with his vivid red hair, and his smiling mouth, and his bright eyes that were the colour of the sea. Reno, who called him Yaz, and who was the only person in the universe who really loved him. There was a rustling sound, and a flash of red, and the dark one who had taken Tseng and Elena from Kadaj appeared at Yazoo's side. He looked at the remnant out of his strange red-gold eyes, and said, "Why the tears, avatar?"

"Because I love Reno, and Shin-Ra has taken him, and I don't know what to do."

"Poor avatar. Shin-Ra was always cruel. But Reno was always Shin-Ra's creature."

"Not any more."

"It's not easy to leave the Turks."

"What's your name?"

"Vincent Valentine. I have little enough love for Shin-Ra. What is your plan?"

"That's just it – I don't have one. Sephiroth has all the plans." Yazoo sighed. "I can fight," he said. "But not all of them."

"But what do you _want_?" Vincent asked.

"Just – Reno." Vincent nodded, as if that made perfect sense. "Then I'll take you back." Yazoo stood. "Thank you," he said. Vincent lifted Yazoo as if he weighed nothing at all, and then they flew. They landed in a little street just off the ruins of Loveless Avenue in Sector Eight. "It's up to you now," Vincent said, and vanished in a swirl of tattered red. Yazoo nodded.

* * *

Thanks for reading. If you like it, please review. If you don't, please review as well, so I can write things people do like!


	4. Chapter 4

So - a look at the interrogation techniques of Shin-Ra. We get back to Yaz in the next chapter, which could be the last...There are two endings; a sad one, in the next chapter, or, if anyone has the stamina to go on reading, a happy one in chapter 7. They are more or less written, so I should be posting them soon.

If anyone likes this, please review!

Chapter warnings: memories of deaths, drugs, violence. Fluffy it ain't.

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Nothing to Say

Elena leaned against the wall of the detention block corridor, her eyes closed, trying not to listen to the sounds coming from the cell. In her mind she ran through a list she'd been compiling since Tseng gave her this lousy job: reasons to hate Reno. Okay. One – he was a cocky, arrogant son of a bitch. True. No arguing with that. Two – he got away with stuff – swearing in front of the boss, wearing his uniform like a rebellious schoolboy, scrawling three line reports that would have been instantly returned to anyone else with 'do it again properly' written across the top in Tseng's neat hand. Yeah, that was really annoying. Three – he thought he was funny. Well, actually he _was_ kind of funny – the way he could make you smile after some really crappy assignment…No – not good to remember those times. Moving on – Four. The way he treated women. Although, thinking about it, women seemed to _like_ the way he treated them. Elena had seen him chatty, flirty, charming – never sneering or cruel. Unlike many men, Reno genuinely seemed to like women – seemed to like _her_ – not as a potential conquest, although that tension was there too, and Elena couldn't say she minded it – but as a colleague – a friend even…Five - he called her Laney all the time. At first that had been really annoying. Although now…now she was kind of used to it. Now, she guessed, she would miss it..." Oh Elena," she sighed to herself, "This is hopeless. Think. You need to go in there mad as hell at him, or you won't be able to do this. Right. Six and Seven, together." These were the clinchers. "He took off with Jenova's head and left us to Kadaj, and he's put me in this situation now because he's either done something stupid, or he's too stubborn to tell us that he _hasn't_ done something stupid." Yes – that was better. She might be able to squeeze enough resentment out of that to make her entrance at least a little bit convincing. She tried to picture Reno's helicopter rising out of the crater at the northern cave, leaving her and Tseng to Kadaj's questioning. Yes, he'd been following orders, but… The cell door opened abruptly, and a doctor and three soldiers emerged. Two of the guards had bruises – one a spectacular black eye. The doctor looked at Elena impassively. He's restrained now," she said calmly. "And he's rehydrated, with saline. He fought, but we got there in the end."

"How would you describe his condition?" Elena asked. The doctor raised an eyebrow. Physically, he's tired and weakened from lack of water and nutrients. I expect he's got one hell of a headache. Mentally – I'd say he's seriously pissed off."

"Thanks for that," said Elena dryly. She took a breath, straightened up, and walked into the cell.

Reno was sitting on the metal bench, his hands cuffed in front of him. He'd obviously put up quite a fight with the soldiers – his nose was bleeding, and there was a purple bruise under his left eye. Somewhere along the line he'd lost the diamond stud, and the tie he'd been wearing, although they'd probably taken that off him at the start in case he used it as a weapon, or… Elena realised that she was staring at him. He looked at her, surprised, then gave a cynical little smile and shook his head. "Ah, Laney, might've known," he said. "Whose idea was this? Tseng? Or that bastard Shinra?" For a fraction of a second Elena was tempted to reply, "That bastard Shinra", but she made herself behave like a professional. "I'm going to be asking the questions," she said. Reno smiled his old, cocky smile. "Fire away, Laney." He paused, then added, "Only – I have nothing to say." Elena shook her head. "I really hope that's not true, Reno. Because I don't have to tell you how this goes." Reno shrugged. "Bring it on."

"You're not seriously going to make us do this are you?"

"Well, I can't make you do anything, can I? It's your call, Laney. But I have nothing to say." Elena felt helplessness and frustration flooding her. Already they were slotting into their roles as interrogator and prisoner, and there was nothing she could do to change it. She knew the script too well – and Reno knew it even better. There was a long pause while Elena considered her options, and realized that she had hardly any. "All right," she said, "what is the cause of your recent erratic behaviour?"

"No comment."

"Where have you been going at night?"

"No comment."

"Are you taking any illegal substances?"

"No. Comment."

"Are you engaged in activities that may be detrimental to the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company or its associates or employees?"

"What the fuck? No comment, even if I understood the fucking question." Elena began to feel anger driving out pity. "Oh come on, Reno. Don't act dumb -you _understand_ this whole process. You've asked that 'fucking question' a hundred times. You know what's gonna happen if you keep this up!" Reno looked up at her, scowling. "Well let's get on with it then! Either ask the rest of your stupid questions or cut to the chase, because I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY." Elena felt a hard lump in her throat, and knew she was going to fail completely. Trouble was, Reno was far more determined not to talk than she was to make him. But she had no choice. She steeled herself again and continued with the questions, because she was a coward, and couldn't face the alternatives. "Does this have anything to do with the termination of the Sephiroth remnant known as Yazoo?" Reno tried too hard not to react; Elena saw his sudden stillness. "No comment," he said. "Reno…" Elena's voice was suddenly softer, personal. "We know it was hard for you. We'd all been in there – none of us could have done it. If that's what this is about, _tell_ me, please. We can help you." Reno lowered his eyes and sighed wearily. "No comment."

"Reno! You're acting like you _want_ me to get security in here."

"Yeah, well."

"What does that mean? Okay – we're going to try the Veraxadine."

"C'mon Laney – you know that's useless. Mostly it produces mindless drivel or confessions of love. It's completely unreliable."

"Never-the-less." Elena went to the door and called for the doctor. Reno watched Elena as the doctor opened her case, took out the hypo and filled it. He made no attempt to resist as she pulled aside his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt enough to reach his shoulder with the syringe. When she'd injected the Veraxadine, the doctor stood back and said, "It takes about a minute to work. I suppose you know that." The look she gave Elena was carefully neutral, but Reno got the impression that this was not a part of her job that she liked. "Tough," he thought. "Work with the devil…" He thought back to Tseng's training sessions. He remembered something about influencing your thoughts – Veraxadine made you speak, but you could affect what you spoke _about_ to some extent. Think about Elena. Not Yaz. Elena. Say something… "You know, you have beautiful eyes, Laney." Reno could feel the drug working now – his mind was losing focus, free-associating. Thoughts chased each other round his head in a way that should have been random, but seemed to make a weird kind of sense. Elena said, "Reno – I never knew you cared." From very far away, he heard himself laughing. "Always – cared – Laney." Elena's heart sank. This wasn't going to work. Keeping her tone light, as they taught you in training, she asked, "Hey, Reno. Rude and I were wondering – where d'you go at night these days? We've missed you."

"Missed you, too. Always was a rotten shot, yo. Guns…only, close up…so damn messy. Elena – did I ever tell you, you have beautiful eyes?" Elena sighed. "Yeah, Reno, just now. Reno – tell me about Yazoo." Reno shook his head. "Can't talk about … talk about you, or..." Somehow he made his mind switch tack. Not Yazoo. He felt panicked, grabbed at another memory – something strong, and bad, and something he'd tried to forget. He put it up like a barrier, in front of thoughts of Yaz. Like a shield. Like… "Like – coming down the stairs, thinking everything's gone well, yo, Veld's gonna be pleased – clear cut… clean cut, I mean – one shot – bang – game over. And then she just – in the doorway - she starts screaming, "_What did you do?_" And the _kid _ - I mean, what the fuck, Laney, maybe five, six? I don't know. And I'm all, like, "Okay, what the fuck do I do now? What the…" and they just – the – whadayacall – snipers – on the roof – just… and the kid goes down, and the woman's just screaming, and they get her too, and there's just blood a- and _stuff_ - and it's just everywhere…" Elena had no idea what to do. Reno was slumped against the wall, staring down at the floor as if he could see the blood he was describing. He whispered, "They shot the kid. Then they shot the woman. And all I could think was why'd they do that? Why'd they shoot the kid? Like, it's any better if they get the mom first, and the kid sees it? But why did they shoot the kid at all?"

"Perhaps they panicked?" Elena suggested. "But, Reno, even if this happened, it has nothing to do with now. Tell me about Yazoo?"

"Yeah – well – that was the same. As hard. Only…just vanishing into the Lifestream…so much prettier, and no blood." There was a sudden knock on the door. Elena jumped. Reno laughed and said, "Wasn't expecting guests."

"I'll be back in a minute," Elena told him, unnecessarily.

"Take your time! I'm not going anywhere," Reno replied lucidly, then added, "Hey – who took my phone? Where's the…?"

Tseng was at the door. He looked past Elena, into the cell. She whispered, "This is no good. I suppose you were listening to all that?"

"Yes. It's a memory. There's something you need to know – after that hit – when the woman and child were killed – he was on Hype. Almost lost his job, but he got clean. Use that. Ask him about it. If he is on something now, it could be a way in."

"Hype? Really?"

"Yes. Go on – ask. You haven't got long before the drug wears off."

"About that – you do know how unreliable Veraxadine is, don't you?"

"Yes. But if you can find a way in… When it works, it works. Go on." Tseng shut the door. Elena took a breath and turned round. "Right," she said. "I think I understand now." She walked over to Reno and sat down next to him. He turned and smiled at her, unsure of where he was. "Hi, Laney. You know, you have really pretty eyes."

"Thanks, Reno. Listen, I was wondering…after – all that stuff you were telling me just now – the woman, and the boy –"

"Girl," cut in Reno.

"What?"

"She was a girl. In a blue dress, with a pattern – all – little white daisies. Dark hair – in…little plaits. With blue, like, I don't know – those hair things – not like ribbons – like, with little plastic…shaped like little – fucking - _cats_!" Reno's eyes suddenly filled with tears. "Fuck Laney! Why do we do this fucking job?"

"I don't know." Elena forced back tears of her own. "Is that why…the Hype?"

"Aah. Tseng told you about that, huh? Always said he wouldn't, but nothing's ever over for Shin-Ra, yo? Not if it's useful. Well, don't you believe what they tell you about Hype. I'll tell you a secret that they don't want you to know – two secrets. One is, Shin-Ra controls the supply. Two – whatever else it does, it fucking _works_. So you ever need to forget anything…"

"But you came off it."

"Yeah. Because I'd spent two years watching it kill my stupid so-called father, and there was no way…"

"So…after Yazoo…"

"What? That's what they think?" Reno laughed. "But that's just stupid! They did enough blood tests. I am not on Hype. Not on anything…Just…" He shook his head and smiled. "Uh-uh. Nice try Laney. But too late. Verazidax – uh – Veraxadine – wears off pretty quick, yo? So, little Laney, with the - pretty eyes – what's next?" Reno's head hurt, and he felt sick and shaky, and his brain was full of images he'd spent years trying to forget. He wanted to curl up on the bench and howl like a kid, but he was back in control of his mind now, and every second he could hold out was another second for Yazoo to get further away. Elena looked at him. Her eyes were too bright with unshed tears. Her mouth trembled for a moment, then hardened. She said, "You want me to break it down for you?" Reno's eyes narrowed. "Why don't you do that."

"Okay. First security will come and try to beat answers out of you. If that doesn't work, they'll move on to electricity – and you're the expert there, I believe, so you'll know what that involves better than me. And if _that_ doesn't work – and I understand it almost always does eventually– well…"

"Well?"

"Well – I expect they'll kill you, just to be on the safe side. So if you're not a traitor to Shin-Ra, and all this is just some kind of reaction to the stuff you've been through with Yazoo, I really would consider talking about it. If you don't…I can't help you, Reno."

"Hey. That's okay, Laney. I'm not asking you to help me. But – I really have nothing to say." Elena sighed and shook her head sadly. "You're not leaving me many options, Reno." Reno gave her a hard, resigned smile. "I'm not leaving you any."

"All right. I'm calling security."

"Finally! You know, Laney, I think you might make it in the Turks after all."

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Thanks for reading. I don't want to sound needy, but, review..? Please?


	5. Chapter 5

When I originally wrote this story_ Broken_ was the last chapter. If you like your endings tragic (and your Reno basically straight ^^) stop reading after this one! If you want a happy - and much fluffier - ending read the last two chapters (when I get round to posting them, which will be soon...)

Thank you to my two lovely reviewers! I know from the stats that people are reading this - so thank you for doing so. Reviews would be welcome, but enough's enough with the pleading, so I'll shut up about it now.

I've made a Reno and Yazoo video themed with this story on You Tube. I'm bad at links I'm afraid, but if you're interested a search for _cherryamberred reno yazoo_ should find it. It uses clips from Advent Children set to the song _Dazed, Beautiful and Bruised _by Catatonia.

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Broken

Kadaj was always the one for action, and Sephiroth had all the plans. Yazoo only knew that he needed to get to the president if he had any hope of getting Reno out of the Shin-Ra building alive. Assuming he _was_ still alive. If not…Well, then it wouldn't matter what he did anyway. Yazoo called the familiar black leather clothes he had been wearing when the Lifestream had first brought him into being in the northern cave, because he wanted Rufus Shinra to recognise him. Then he walked into the foyer of the Shin-Ra building and went to the main reception desk. He did nothing as Kadaj or Loz or Sephiroth would have done – he stood in line until it was his turn to see the receptionist, and he smiled at her. She smiled back, caught by his ethereal beauty as everyone was, and said, "How can I help you?"

"I'm here to see the president." The woman looked puzzled. "I'm sorry – he has no appointments scheduled for today."

"He'll want to see me. Tell him Yazoo is here."

"I'll let his secretary know, but I really don't think…"

"If you would. Thank you." The woman looked at him, uneasy now. She made a phone call, and waited for a few moments, then her eyes widened and she said, "Yes, at once." She turned back to Yazoo. "You're to go up at once. Floor sixty. Take the left hand elevator. That's the only floor it stops at."

"Thank you." Yazoo walked to the elevator and watched out of the transparent back wall as Edge fell away below him. He smiled. "Rufus Shinra really thinks he's god, doesn't he?" Sephiroth's voice whispered in his mind. "Yes, but he's wrong," Yazoo replied. He stepped out of the lift when it stopped expecting to be met by some kind of security, but there was only a large anteroom with soft grey carpet and white walls on which hung several tasteful works of art. An expensive-looking wooden desk bore a discrete plaque with the Shin-Ra company logo etched onto glass, but the desk was unmanned. A door to the right of the desk was labelled simply 'president'. Yazoo knocked on the door, as seemed polite. A cool voice answered, "Come in."

President Rufus Shinra sat in a white leather chair behind a huge wooden desk. His vast office was surrounded on three sides by windows offering spectacular views of Edge, and the ruins of Midgar away to the west. He regarded Yazoo calmly, out of ice-blue eyes. "I thought we killed you," he said.

"I came back."

"So I see. May I ask why?" Yazoo wandered over to one of the windows and stood looking down into Central Plaza. The Shin-Ra memorial had been rebuilt. He remembered fighting Reno down there. He remembered Kadaj, and Rufus Shinra, falling through the bright shimmering air… "We have unfinished business," he said softly.

"Unfinished business of what kind?" Rufus probed.

"Oh, we'll come to that…But I need to know – is Reno alive?" Yazoo turned to face Rufus, his green eyes supernaturally bright. Rufus Shinra got to his feet. "Reno? I'm afraid Reno has been behaving somewhat…erratically…since he killed you for us. We've been questioning him, but he seems very unwilling to tell us what he's been doing."

"You've been hurting him? Like you did me?"

"Yes." Rufus Shinra offered no apologies – made no excuses. Yazoo seemed to consider this. Then he asked quietly, "But he's still alive?"

"He was this morning. I received a report about three hours ago. Still nothing." Yazoo said, "I do so hope that he's alive. If he's not, then you will die. Get him for me now, please." Rufus Shinra smiled. "Oh, I don't think I'm going to do that. Why would I? Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Yazoo smiled sadly back at Shinra. "Oh but Sir, surely you've not forgotten why you asked Reno to kill me? Wasn't it because none of the rest of you could do it yourselves? Tseng, Rude, Elena and…you. None of you could have done it." Yazoo leapt lightly over the desk and laid one warm hand on Rufus Shinra's cheek. Rufus looked into the strange green glow of Yazoo's eyes, and found that he couldn't think properly. Yazoo ran his other hand through Rufus' pale blond hair, and the president of Shin-Ra found himself unable to resist as Yazoo kissed him, gently, on the mouth. Yazoo sighed and said, "I want to see Reno now."

"Yes – yes, I'll just…" Rufus called someone on his phone, and looked at Yazoo, his eyes shining with desire. "My people are bringing him up. But he's just…he just works for _me_. I – I could give you anything you wanted!"

"Your people are bringing me all I ever wanted."

"Please – would you kiss me again?" Yazoo shook his head. "I can't. I don't care about you. I don't love you. Be good, Rufus Shinra, and keep quiet. I'm waiting for Reno." Rufus found he could not disobey Yazoo. He thought his heart would break at the idea that this beautiful, powerful creature could prefer Reno to him, but he clung to a hope that he would be able to make Yazoo change his mind. Time passed. At last the office door opened. Tseng and Rude half carried Reno into the room, Elena following close behind. When the two men let him go he fell to his knees on the carpet. Yazoo stared at him. Reno's face was covered in cuts and bruises. His ragged shirt was open, revealing burns across his chest, and his hair was matted with dried blood. Reno saw Yazoo and gave a raw sob. Elena gasped. Reno cried, "Yaz! I told you to run! I thought you'd got away." Yazoo ran to him, and held him, and kissed his damaged mouth carefully. "Reno! Reno – you're alive. It's all right. I did run – but there was no point, without you. Vincent found me, and brought me back." Reno was crying now, hard, no longer caring about Tseng, Rude, Elena or even Rufus Shinra. He clung to Yazoo and said, "But they'll take you prisoner again. They'll send you back to the Lifestream again."

"No, they won't. Will they, President Shinra, Sir?"

"No. No – you need to stay here." Tseng and Elena looked at Rufus doubtfully. Rude was watching Reno, his face sorrowful. Rufus Shinra said, "Yazoo is our guest here – understand? No-one touches him."

"But Sir," began Tseng. From his position on the floor where he was holding Reno, Yazoo looked over his shoulder at Tseng and shook his head. "Tseng…" he murmured reproachfully, and Tseng fell silent. Elena stared at Yazoo and swallowed hard. "So…all this time…Reno was with you?"

"Yes. It was only that. No betrayal of Shin-Ra. And you can't blame him for protecting me because any of you would have done the same. Wouldn't you?" Rufus whispered, "Yes!" Tseng nodded slowly, Rude cleared his throat and Elena looked at the floor. Yazoo kissed Reno, and said, "I'm sorry, love, that you had to endure all this. There's just one thing I have to do, and then we can leave…" Gently Yazoo moved away from Reno, who was half sitting, half lying on the floor. With preternatural grace, the remnant got to his feet and crossed the room to Rufus Shinra in a fluid movement that was strangely inhuman. He looked into Rufus's blue eyes and smiled. "I'm going to need your gun," he said. Rufus looked confused for a moment, then nodded. "Of course. Here." He took the gun from inside his jacket, and handed it to Yazoo.

"So, of his own volition, Rufus Shinra hands me the weapon that will execute him," said a cold, exultant voice that was no longer Yazoo's. Rufus's eyes went wide with shock. "Sephiroth!"

"Of course. You see Rufus, I can't allow a Shinra to keep power, even if your intentions towards the planet have changed. Your company – your father and his scientists – made me what I was. I will rule the world, through Yazoo for now. I will be your new god. I will be the one to decide what is good for the planet – not you. Time to atone for your sins, and those of your father. Kneel, Rufus Shinra."

"I'm not kneeling to you, or to anyone," Rufus replied, his voice steady. "I'm not afraid to die." Yazoo smiled, took Rufus's face in his hands, and kissed him. When he spoke, his voice was his own again. "So brave, Rufus. But you need to do as Sephiroth asks now. I want you to obey him, please." Rufus struggled against the compulsion to do whatever Yazoo asked, but his efforts only lasted seconds. Then he nodded, inevitably, and knelt on the soft grey carpet of his office. Yazoo raised Rufus's gun and placed the muzzle against the president's head. Behind him, Reno said, "No!" Yazoo turned, his expression a strange mix of Sephiroth's cold amusement and his own concern for Reno. "What is it, beautiful?"

"Yaz – don't kill him. I know you're there – Sephiroth is only in _your_ head. Remember – in your apartment – me and you. You told me it was like tuning in a radio – tune it out, Yaz. Don't kill Rufus!" But it was Sephiroth's voice that replied, "You see? Bound to Rufus Shinra. They all are. You can't banish me, Yazoo, because if I go, Reno will feel nothing for you." Reno forced himself to his feet, and crossed the room to Yazoo who winced at the agony those few steps clearly caused him. Yazoo kept the gun against Rufus's temple, but turned to Reno and held out his right hand. Reno seized it. "Yaz, please! Try!"

"But…" The uncertain voice was Yazoo's again. "What if he's right? What if I do get Sephiroth out of my head, and when he's gone you…you don't love me any more? I couldn't live without you! It's better like this. Rufus Shinra would have killed you. He hurt you so much! I should kill him for that, even if Sephiroth didn't desire his death."

"No. Yaz, we're all of us, in this room, killers. We've all helped to bring the world to the edge of … obliteration. Rufus is no more guilty than I am, yo? But we're trying to restore the world now. We're building a new Shin-Ra to help regenerate the planet. You can be part of that too, Yaz. You and me. I will always love you. You don't need Sephiroth."

Sephiroth's chilling laughter was bitter and hard. "But you talk of love, little Turk, and you have no idea what you mean by it! It is _my_ power that draws you to this avatar. Without that, he is a shell. And when it comes to Rufus Shinra you should be pulling the trigger yourself. Don't tell me you've never thought of it – you, Rude, Elena – perhaps especially Tseng? You all have the ambition and the necessary violence to do it. With Rufus Shinra dead you would no longer serve a master. You, Reno, could be in charge of the company with Yazoo, in safety. You could control your own destiny." Yazoo turned back to Rufus, who stared straight ahead, unflinching. Reno said, "Yaz. Fight Sephiroth! Send him away. I _will_ love you!"

Yazoo looked into Reno's eyes. "Swear it," he whispered.

"I swear."

Yazoo nodded once. "So then…I don't need you, Sephiroth. Get out of my head. Go! Go!"

"I can not be commanded by a mere avatar!" cried Sephiroth's voice from Yazoo's mouth.

"I am not an avatar! I am alive. I am…someone…real…" Yazoo's voice was anguished. "Get out of my head!"

"You…are…nothing, without…"

"He is!" Reno's voice was strong. He held on to Yazoo's hand tightly. "He's Yaz! He's the person I love!"

"NO!" Sephiroth shouted furiously. "NO! It's not possible…" Yazoo flung the gun away, and fell to his hands and knees on the floor. Reno sank to the ground beside him. Tseng ran over to the gun and picked it up. Elena gave a little sob and Rude asked, "Has he…gone?" Rufus Shinra got slowly to his feet. He brushed down his suit, and surveyed the people in his office: the remnant who had exerted such a powerful influence over him, and his loyal Turks.

Yazoo opened his eyes and sighed. "It's over," he said. He smiled. "He's gone. I am…myself. Complete. Real. My mind, my body – they are my own now. He can't come back. The link is broken."

"So the nightmare is banished, once again," Rufus said. "At least, for now. And the spell is broken. Reno – I apologise for all we did to you. We all fell under Sephiroth's power. None of us could resist it, and we would all have done anything to protect Yazoo. I hope you'll come back to work?"

"Yeah, come back, man," Rude said, smiling. "I missed you, partner."

"And I just hated the interrogation – and so did Tseng," said Elena. "I'm so sorry, Reno."

"Ah, Laney, you suck at interrogations, anyway," said Reno, winking at her. He looked at Rufus. "I guess – I'm back, boss. Maybe we could discuss a pay rise or something?" Rufus smiled indulgently. "Maybe Reno." Yazoo turned to help Reno to his feet. Reno stood awkwardly, then sat on the edge of Rufus's desk, his face turned away from Yazoo. Yazoo's smile faded. He asked, "Reno?" Reno shook his head. He forced himself to look at Yazoo – at his beautiful, pale face that was suddenly so still and so frightened. "I…" Reno had no idea what to say. Yazoo reached for him, pressed his lips against Reno's desperately, but Reno was frozen. Yazoo whispered, "You swore!"

"I…I wasn't lying. I meant it…I did. I loved you…"

Yazoo cried, "_Loved_?"

"I'm sorry. It was…like…a dream. Like someone else. I know it was me, feeling that…but…"

"No. No, Reno. I love you. It's real. You made me real because you loved me so much! That can't change!"

"I'm sorry." There were tears in Reno's eyes, and he felt just damned terrible, but he couldn't change that fact that the love he had felt for Yazoo had vanished. He remembered it as a kind of madness – the high from the world's most powerful drug – but it had passed as quickly and completely as it had come. "Yaz…I'm really sorry."

"So Sephiroth was right. It wasn't me – it was him. I am nothing without him."

"No, you're not nothing, Yaz. You're a person. Yourself. And I'll do anything I can to help you…find out what you want to do…" Reno's words trailed off helplessly. Yazoo couldn't bear the pity in his eyes.

"But I still love you, Reno! I always will. What…what am I supposed to do? I can't…I'll die without you…only…the Lifestream, without you, would be just as empty…I don't know what to do! Reno?"

"I…can't…I don't know how to help you. I would get that feeling back, if I could. It was the best…but it wasn't real, maybe? I don't know. I'm so…sorry."

"It was real." Yazoo was too shocked to cry. He felt broken by grief. He couldn't stay in that room, with the other Turks not looking at him, and Rufus Shinra's merciless gaze, and Reno…Reno. Yazoo turned and walked away, and the door closed softly behind him.

Reno still sat on the edge of the desk. He looked down at his hands, which were bruised and bloody. Two of his fingers, he thought, were broken. He couldn't make any sense of what had happened – to have gone through all of that for Yaz, and not to be able to feel…anything.

"What the fuck happened to me?" he murmured. "What the fuck happened?" Of all of them, it was Rufus Shinra who went to him and said, "It's going to be all right, Reno." It was Rufus Shinra who held him, and stroked his hair, and let him hide his face against his shoulder until all the tears had fallen.

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Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6

Nearly at the end now - one more shortish chapter after this. Thank you to everyone who's still reading.

Chapter warnings: getting fluffier!

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Pause

Yazoo wandered through the streets of Edge. He paused by the monument in City Plaza, and stared up at it, remembering. He had been with Loz then – now Loz was gone into the Lifestream. He had fought on these streets – with Reno. Reno - who had only ever loved Sephiroth's power. Who was bound to Rufus Shinra, just as Sephiroth had said. What matter if that bond was one of love, or of hate? Both were equally strong. Reno was a Turk – would always be a Turk. Vincent Valentine had tried to warn him that Reno was Shin-Ra's creature, and Yazoo had been sure that his love would be enough to change that, but his love was nothing without Sephiroth. And yet, it still burned in him. Why? Why did it hurt so much, if it was so weak?

Yazoo left the clean, new streets of Edge and walked through old Midgar. Even here, life was returning: half-constructed buildings were reaching skywards, people moved with purpose. "And _I_ am a person now," thought Yazoo. "I am alive. If I die, there will be a body. If I'm shot, there will be blood. I am no longer an avatar. But what can I do with my life, without Reno?" He thought about returning to the apartment in Sector Five, but the thought was too bleak. When he had lived there, Reno had loved him - or had seemed to. Reno had believed it, then. "It was real," Yazoo said aloud. A passing woman gave him a suspicious look. Yazoo stopped in front of a new building clad in black reflecting glass. His face in the dark surface was the same as he remembered it. His mind felt the same – or, rather, it felt sharper, without the constant awareness of Sephiroth's presence. He had only become _more_ real. So why didn't Reno love him anymore? He kept walking. He walked away from Edge, away from Midgar, away from the new Shin-Ra building, and Rufus and the Turks and Reno. It was growing dark before he realised that he was leaving the city behind him altogether, and he understood where he needed to go.

The same young, female doctor who had injected Reno with the Veraxadine in the cells patched him up now that he was a Turk again. He had three broken fingers, she told him, not two – might never pull a trigger easily again. Two broken ribs, a fractured collarbone, various electrical burns – all these she had treated, and she thought they would all heal. "There will be some scarring," she said, matter-of-fact. "You're lucky they didn't damage your face too much. I guess they hoped you'd come through it."

"I don't know." Reno felt empty. The doctor was an attractive woman – he couldn't summon enough energy even to flirt. He barely listened while she explained the different painkillers she was prescribing, and at the end she sighed and said, "Just read the packets. Don't take too many."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"You know – I don't get to do this often. Not many people come out of Shin-Ra cells. In the old days, it was bad. In the old building… Since we moved here we don't use them much at all, thank Gaia, but it's still good to see someone walk away."

"Hmm? Oh, right. Yeah, I guess, it…makes a change."

"I'm not a psychiatrist. You may need other kinds of help – after something like this."

"Oh, I was crazy before. We all are. Goes with the job. So, I'm good to go, yo?"

"Yes. You can go. Just be careful – you're pretty fragile at the moment. Don't try to do anything too fast or too suddenly." She watched Reno walking towards the elevators, moving painfully and trying not to let it show. Shaking her head, the doctor pulled out a file, and began to fill in details of all Reno's injuries and treatments. She hoped the future of Shin-Ra would be different. Maybe she would be able to work on treating accidental injury and disease this time? May be the increasingly empty cells would eventually be turned into labs? There was always that hope.

Reno reached the office and sat in his own chair, behind his own desk. Six days since he'd last been here, and it felt like a distantly recalled scene from a movie – someone else's life. He opened the top drawer of his desk. Someone had replaced his gun. He smiled, grimly. Not much use to him with his fingers taped together like this. Well – Reno had never liked guns. And in the new Shin-Ra, there shouldn't be too much call for guns in any case. Elena walked into the room and froze for a second when she saw him. "Reno! Are you okay?"

"Doc says I'll live." He smiled at Laney, and the smile was genuine. She flushed and murmured, "Reno – about all that, in the cells…I'm really sorry…"

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Laney. You know I'd a done the same to you. Would've hated it. Would've done it." He shrugged. "We're Turks, yo."

"Yo – uh, yes. Yes we are. Coffee, Reno?"

"Yeah – thanks. That sounds good."

Reno was still drinking the coffee when Rude turned up, and deposited a collection of objects on Reno's desk. "Here you go, partner. Stuff you might need." Reno's phone, keys, wallet, EMR, a new packet of cigarettes and a lighter, chewing gum. "Thanks partner." Reno grinned up at him, and Rude thought he looked almost like the old Reno. "Oh, and the guards gave me this." Rude handed him the diamond earring. Yazoo's earring. Reno took it – held it in his palm. Rude said, "I figured, maybe you didn't buy it after all?" Reno sighed. "Right." He looked at Rude, and tried to smile. "I'm not _that_ flashy, yo."

"No – it looked good. You should…keep it."

"Maybe." Reno asked, "Does anyone…know where he went?"

"Not yet. Tseng's on it."

"But they won't…"

"No. They won't even bring him in. Just check he's okay. You should talk to Tseng. I think he was wondering whether we could find something for him to do, within Shin-Ra."

"Yeah. I was thinking that. I feel…responsible, you know?"

"We all do, buddy. Could've been any of us."

"You think?" Something flared in Reno then, just for a second. Something sharp, that twisted, and wanted to deny, and lay claim…He wasn't sure whether he welcomed it, or whether he was afraid. Rude didn't see it – only nodded. "I know Tseng feels bad. Thinks, as boss, he should've gone in there at the start." Again, the feeling: _No. Only me_. Reno pushed it away. Sephiroth was gone. The feelings were gone. He said, "It was a fair call. Based on the psych reports. Not anyone's fault." He stood up, with some difficulty. Rude moved to help him, and Reno took his arm, gratefully. "Ah – now I know how Rufus must've felt, with the geostigma. It kinda sucks, not being able to move fast."

"You'll be up to speed in no time. I know you, Reno."

"No-one better, partner." Reno thought of Yaz, and sighed. "I think you're right. I'd better talk to Tseng."

Yazoo walked through the night. Although he was human now, he still seemed to possess extraordinary night vision and enhanced stamina. He kept walking until he reached the Forgotten City. The ghostly trees were even paler in the moonlight and the materia pool gleamed darkly, mirror-smooth. Yazoo sat at the very edge of the water, looking down at his dimly visible reflection. "Kadaj?" he asked, aloud. "Loz?" But his brothers' spirits were still. He had no idea how long he sat still beside the water. He couldn't cry. All his short life, he felt, there had been so many tears, and yet now – now that he was lost and broken and alone – even that release was denied him. It wasn't self-pity he felt – it was numb incomprehension. Reno had been prepared to give up everything for him – his job, his friends, his life, really, because it would surely only have been a few more hours in that cell…And it had all been for nothing, because Reno's love had been nothing - no more than an addiction to the glamour of Sephiroth. Sephiroth had told him so – told him that his love was no use to Reno in any case. How could anyone live with that kind of obsessive desire?

Sometime just before dawn Yazoo became aware of a distant rumbling, which slowly built to the familiar roar of a motorbike engine. Yazoo didn't move, just waited to find out what new developments the day would bring. The sky was paling now, from black to smoky grey, softly. The engine was stilled, and Yazoo watched a slender, dark-haired figure approaching him through the trees. He was surprised to see that it was Rufus Shinra's right hand man – the Turk called Tseng. Yazoo was sure that there were weapons concealed somewhere under that sharp suit, but none was visible. Yazoo looked up, and when Tseng was close enough to hear him he asked, "Is Reno all right?"

"Some broken bones. Fractures, burns, bruising. Nothing likely to be permanent. He may have trouble firing a gun. He will recover."

"Good. Does he hate me, do you think?" Tseng stood looking down at Yazoo for a moment, then sat on the earth beside him, careless of the suit. "No, I don't think so. I haven't spoken to him about it yet – but from what I saw in the president's office he's just sorry that he can't feel like he did."

"He was addicted - to Sephiroth. You can't imagine…"

"Only a little. When you were in the cells – we all felt something. No-one else could have killed you."

"I know." Yazoo sighed. "We could keep talking about this for ever. It wouldn't make any difference. Why have you come?"

"I've come to offer you a job."

"A job?" Yazoo smiled sadly. "That's funny. Me, working for Shin-Ra."

"Why? You're human now. And Shin-Ra is protecting the planet nowadays. We're looking for new energy sources, ones that don't require mako. You have a unique perspective on everything to do with the Lifestream. You'd be an advisor at first. We'd give you training. You'd work with the scientists."

"And how would Reno feel about me working for Shin-Ra?"

"You wouldn't be in the same building, or the same department. You wouldn't have to see each other, if you didn't want to."

"Ah. Well, I suppose, I'll have to do something. If I'm going to stay alive." Tseng looked at him, his dark eyes knowing. "You've thought about not staying alive then?"

"Oh yes. It would be so easy. But…I don't want Reno to feel that he has that on his conscience as well. And, stupid as it probably sounds to you, I want to live in the world as long as Reno's in it. Even if I only catch a glimpse of him sometimes."

"That doesn't sound stupid. Just…human." Tseng stood, brushing the damp earth from his suit. "Think about the job. Here…" He reached into a pocket and handed Yazoo a slim silver phone. "Call me. My number's in there."

"Reno's?"

Tseng shook his head. "That's not my… prerogative."

"No. Would you give him this number, though? If…if he'll take it?"

"Yes. Yazoo – for what it's worth – I hope you do consider joining us. I hope you find a way through all this."

"Thank you." Yazoo watched Tseng walking away through the trees. He remembered Sephiroth's dismissive description of the Turks as Shin-Ra lapdogs. Tseng didn't seem to be anyone's servant, despite his undoubted loyalty to Rufus Shinra. He seemed self-possessed. Yazoo wondered how a man came to possess himself. That would be freedom, if it could be achieved.

When Tseng returned he called Reno into his office. Reno's injuries were clearly giving him a lot of pain, and watching the red-haired Turk lowering himself carefully into a chair, Tseng was reminded of his own wounds after Kadaj's interrogations. But that pain had been inflicted by an enemy, and this…Rufus Shinra would never know how close Tseng had come to leaving over the torture of Reno. It had only been Tseng's genuine concern that Reno might be some kind of danger to Shin-Ra that had stopped him. Tseng said, "Reno. I hope you're beginning to recover?"

"Getting better every minute, yo."

"Good. I've been asked to give you this. By Yazoo." Tseng handed Reno a folded piece of paper. "It's just his phone number. He said he hoped you'd take it."

Reno took it. He looked down at the line of numbers written in Tseng's small, neat numerals. He stared at the number as he asked, "How…how is he?"

"He's…doing okay. I've offered him a job. Not with the Turks – with development."

"Oh – well, that's good. Has he accepted?"

"Not yet. How do you feel about it, Reno?" Reno shrugged. "Don't know. Not sure I feel much of anything yet. But, yeah, it's good you offered. He must be sorta…lost…" In spite of his previous words, Reno did feel something - a kind of pain at the thought of Yazoo somewhere on his own. Tseng said, "Yes. I think he is." Reno asked, "So, you think I should call him, maybe? Make sure he's okay?"

"Yes," said Tseng. "I do." Reno nodded. "I will do. I…when I get home."

"It can't be easy."

"Nope."

"If there's anything…" Reno glanced at Tseng, then looked away. "Thanks, boss. But I'll be fine. I'd better get going, yo."

"Yes. Look after yourself Reno." Tseng watched Reno leaving. He frowned at the careful movements, remembering how the red-haired Turk used to bound into the office with the most perfunctory of knocks – used to fidget and pace and fool around. It hurt Tseng to see him so changed – moderated - slowed and subdued. It wasn't right. It wasn't Reno.

Yazoo thought about what Tseng had said as he wandered through the ghost-trees beside the motionless materia pool. The Forgotten City was close to the Lifestream. The silver trees and the still, breathless atmosphere of the place made him feel unreal, as he used to feel when he was nothing but an avatar. It wasn't exactly peace that he felt in this place – it was more a kind of quiet waiting – a limbo – a welcome pause. He supposed he would have to join the world again soon, since he couldn't bear to leave it while Reno was alive, but for now there was this respite. He knew that others sought it too – souls, like him, separated from the ordinary life of the planet by their differences. For some time now he had been aware of the presence among the trees. It was benevolent – watchful – tactful. He recognised it. "Vincent Valentine?" he asked quietly. There was a whispering sound, a swirling chaos of red and black, and then Vincent was beside him. The former Turk's long black hair fell around his face, obscuring Yazoo's view of his expression. Without looking at him, Vincent stated, "I was at the Shin-Ra building. Rude told me what happened. I'm sorry. Was I wrong, to take you back?"

"No." Yazoo's voice was firm. "I had to try. I defeated Sephiroth, in my own way. Reno made that possible. But you were right. Reno is still Shin-Ra's. He feels nothing for me now."

"And you? Do you still…"

"As I always did. As I always will."

"That is hard. I know…I was in love with someone who…chose another path. A path that led to you, by turns. Lucrecia. She was Sephiroth's…mother."

"Jenova was –"

"Jenova's cells were injected into her, and into him in the womb. But Lucrecia and Hojo were the biological parents. She, Hojo and Jenova, created Sephiroth and Sephiroth, with Jenova, created you, Yazoo. So you see, it's all linked. We are both the result of Shin-Ra experiments, ultimately. Perhaps, creatures like us can never find peace in this world? Shin-Ra excels at making monsters, after all." Vincent turned to look at Yazoo. His red-gold eyes were sympathetic. "What will you do?"

Yazoo shook his head. "I'm not sure. Tseng offered me a job."

"With Shin-Ra?"

"Yes, I know. But then, as you say, Shin-Ra created me, in effect, so why not?"

"Hmm. Why not? I fought Shin-Ra with Cloud, but now we all seem to be working for the same thing; the regeneration of the planet. But…what about Reno?"

"He loved Sephiroth, not me. I will try to keep away from him."

"Are you sure he feels nothing? I thought Lucrecia felt nothing, but later I learned that she had loved me, as far as guilt and remorse would allow her to. If there's any chance, you should take it. Love has taught me that much." Yazoo's resigned smile was tragic, Vincent thought. Yazoo sighed. "I saw his face. How he looked at me – when he could bring himself to look at me at all. He felt sorry for me, and he felt incomprehension as to how he could ever have loved me. That's all."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not as if it were real love, though," said Yazoo. "Not for him, anyway. It was like a spell. A total infatuation. When Sephiroth was with me, I could feel the power working on people, and it was like…like a lightning strike. Instant, unavoidable. All I had to do was kiss Rufus Shinra and he handed me his gun; knelt down so I could shoot him! They sent Reno to me because they thought he would be able to resist – because he loves women and yet he's open-minded enough – secure enough - not to be afraid of any attraction he might feel to men. But that's irrelevant. He never had a chance. No-one had." Yazoo smiled. "The part I didn't expect was my feelings for him. That was nothing to do with Sephiroth. That was me. Sephiroth would have seduced any of them who came into the cell if he had been fully conscious at that time, but I had no interest in them. They felt his power, unfocussed as it was then, but I wouldn't speak to them. When I heard Reno's voice, I recognised it. I fought with Reno, when I was here the first time. He was fast – he understood about the…the joy of combat. And when I saw it was him – in the helicopter – I couldn't shoot him. He is beautiful, isn't he?" Vincent nodded. Yazoo seemed very young to him. "As beautiful to you as Lucrecia was to me."

"Yes. And he is strong. He had the strength to kill me – none of the others could have done that, even with Sephiroth not fully awake. So, you see, my love for Reno is real. I know he's human, and he's done wrong in the past, and he's not perfect – but he's perfect for me. I can't imagine that there could be anyone else. Did you find anyone? After Lucrecia?"

"No. Not…not yet. But, just recently, I've begun to think that maybe it's time to hope for that. It's been thirty years, after all."

"So long?"

"Time is different, for monsters. But you're not a monster, any more. Don't wait too long." Yazoo gazed away through the trees. "I don't think you're a monster anymore, either, Vincent." When Yazoo turned back he found he was alone. "Vincent…?" But Vincent was gone.

A startling, incongruous electronic sound vibrated in the still air. It took Yazoo a few moments to realise that it was the phone Tseng had given him. He flipped it open, and said, "Hello?"

"Yaz?" One syllable – enough to send sparks through Yazoo's whole body, making his breath catch and his heart lurch. "Reno?"

"Yeah, it's me. Ah, Yaz, I…"

"_Reno_." Sephiroth or no, it would have taken a colder heart than Reno's not to be moved by the longing in Yazoo's voice.

"Yaz - I wanted to see if you were okay. Uh - you okay?"

"I…yes, Reno. I'm okay. Are you –"

"Oh, yeah – I'm fine. Mending, yo. Yaz – Tseng told me about the job. Listen, I think, maybe, you should take it?"

"Can I see you?" Yazoo couldn't help himself. There was a pause. "Yes. Yeah, I guess we should…I'm not too mobile at the moment. Can you get to mine?"

"I'm at the Forgotten City. I can be back tomorrow. I'll start walking straight away."

"_Walking_? Look, Yaz, stay put, okay? I'll meet you there, yo."

"But –"

"Give me, maybe, an hour?" Reno hung up. Yaz looked at the phone, wondering.

Reno dialled Tseng. He figured Shin-Ra owed him several. "Yo, boss. I'll need a car, at mine, pronto, and a copter on standby."

"Reno – you can't fly!" Tseng's voice was half exasperated, half amused. He knew what Reno would reply.

"Watch me."

The Shin-Ra helicopter touched down smoothly on the flat, desert plain near to the outermost trees that encircled the Forgotten City. Reno winced as he killed the power – it was harder than he had expected to fly with both hands damaged, but he'd managed a clean landing. He remained seated at the controls for a moment flexing the fingers that weren't taped together, wondering what it meant that he'd come here. He felt bad about Yazoo – felt responsible, like he'd told Rude. That had to be all it was. But talking to Yaz on the phone – hearing his voice – was that _responsibility_ he felt? He was nervous, he acknowledged, about seeing Yazoo now. What if the…no longer avatar…What if _Yaz_ thought that his coming meant more than it did? What if he hoped..? Ah, fuck it – no point sitting around wondering what if. Thinking things through had never really been Reno's strongest suit anyway.

Opening the cabin door was difficult, and jumping down to the ground, which Reno normally did without thinking, felt as though it jarred every bone in his body and caused him to gasp with the sudden shock of pain. He took a couple of deep breaths and steadied himself. The last few days in the interrogation cell had taught him a lot more than he had ever wanted to know about ways to handle pain. He felt suddenly sick and dizzy. Perhaps Tseng had been right – perhaps he wasn't fit to fly after all. Too late now. Slowly Reno began walking towards the trees. He stopped when he saw Yazoo approaching. Yazoo stopped when Reno did. They looked at each other across the rocky terrain, then Yazoo ran up to Reno and said, "You're here!" He made no attempt to touch Reno, although he longed to hold him. He couldn't bear seeing the Turk in so much pain and being unable to help. Reno said, "Hey, Yaz."

"You were so badly hurt!" Yazoo exclaimed. "You shouldn't be flying. You need to heal."

"I'll be all right. Just – better not go back right away. Stupid of me to jump from the copter like that. I think I messed something up. I feel kinda…" Reno stumbled and sat down on the ground abruptly. "Something's not right. Think I might be gonna f-" Reno fainted. Yazoo caught him before he hit his head on the ground. Laying Reno flat, Yazoo turned the Turk's head to the side in case he was going to be sick, and sat beside him stroking his red hair. "Reno? Reno, can you hear me?" Reno's eyes flickered open - he groaned. "Yaz?" With some difficulty, he focussed on Yazoo's face. Yazoo was looking down at him, love and concern bright in his green eyes, which were – "Oh," murmured Reno, "Your eyes are…human now…" He smiled, and reached up to touch Yazoo's cheek. 'It was…a nice…dream, yo." Yazoo held his breath. Reno wasn't really fully conscious, and Yazoo knew it was wrong, but he couldn't resist bending down and kissing Reno's mouth softly. Reno's focus sharpened. He said, "Yaz…"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"No, but…it's…okay. It's not about that."

"It's not?"

"No." Reno tried to sit up, and his vision went dark again. "Uh-oh. Think I'll just lie down here for a while."

"Are you all right? Do I need to get a doctor?"

"I don't…" Reno coughed, and an icy shiver passed through Yazoo as he saw the trickle of blood coming from Reno's mouth.

"Reno! Keep still. I'm calling Tseng." Yazoo flipped open the phone and dialled, fighting to keep his hands steady.

"Tseng."

"Yes – it's Yazoo – uh – Reno's here – he's bleeding…I think, internal injuries, maybe. Please, send a doctor, or something…"

"Where are you?"

"Edge of the Forgotten City - you'll see Reno's helicopter. Please, be quick!'

"On my way."

Reno was even paler than usual, and he seemed to be drifting from full consciousness to a kind of half-aware dream state. He said, "You know, Yaz, I think it wasn't maybe as clear as I thought."

"Shh. You shouldn't talk. The doctor will be here soon."

"No, it's important. Just in case I've busted something key, yo?"

"Reno, please – be still. Be quiet."

"Yaz…I'm sorry I reacted like that – when Sephiroth went. It was a shock, I guess. Like someone threw a switch – on, off. All that…electricity…"

"Lightning."

"Yeah. Lightning. Doesn't strike twice…but maybe…struck harder than I thought."

"What do you mean?" But Reno seemed to have slipped out of consciousness again. Yazoo gripped his hand and squeezed it hard. "Reno – stay with me. Talk to me – no, don't talk, but can you focus? Look at me, Reno." Reno's eyes opened. He frowned and said, "It's going dark. I can't…"

"No! Look at me!"

"I need to sleep now."

"Not yet. Stay with me, Reno. Look at me." Reno looked into Yazoo's eyes. There was something wrong with his vision – the world kept darkening, then flickering back into light. He could hear his helicopter, but that couldn't be right, because he was on the ground…Suddenly his eyes went wide and panicked. "Yaz…I don't think…I can't…breathe…"

"No, no, no, stay Reno. The doctor's here. Hold on! Please!"

Reno coughed violently, and suddenly there was blood everywhere, and the doctor was running across the stony ground, Tseng just behind her. Two medics rushed up with a stretcher while the doctor injected something into Reno's arm, held an oxygen mask over his face, and told the medics what to do. Then Reno was carried into the helicopter, and Tseng shouted to Yazoo, "Come on!" Yazoo ran to catch up, and Tseng said, "In the cockpit with me. There's no room back there. We'll be in the way." Yazoo squeezed into the cockpit beside Tseng. The pilot lifted off instantly. Yazoo said, "Will he be all right?"

"I don't know. It looked bad. It's my fault. I thought he was well enough to fly."

"No. He jumped down from the helicopter. I think he forgot how badly injured he was."

"It's still my fault. I should've trusted that he wouldn't have betrayed Shin-Ra. I should have refused to allow the interrogation. I … if he dies…"

"If he dies, it's because of me, not you. He went through all of that for me. Or, he thought he did at the time. If he dies…"

"Rufus Shinra only employs the best. The doctor will save him, if anyone can." Both men fell silent. The journey back to Edge only took a few minutes, but for Tseng and Yazoo time crept by with agonising slowness. As soon as they landed on top of the Shin-Ra building the medics took Reno away. Tseng led Yazoo down to the office, where Rude and Elena waited anxiously. Rude asked, "How is he?"

"Not good. He'll be in theatre by now. We just have to wait."

They waited. Rude sat in his desk chair, staring down at some file or other, unseeing. He had believed Reno when Reno had told him he was addicted, and in a way it had been true, but Rude wished he'd done more to fight for his partner. He had gone to Rufus, over Tseng's head, to ask him to stop the interrogation, but the president had been adamant. "He's keeping something from all of us," Rufus had said. "I can't allow that." And because he was the president, Rude had reluctantly concurred. If Reno died…Rude shook his head. That was not going to happen. He'd already decided, anyway, that if Reno died in the cells, he was done with Shin-Ra. He and Reno were a team – that was all there was to it.

Elena turned her desk chair to face the window, and sat looking down into Edge. The sky was beginning to darken. In her mind she ran back over all she had done in the last few days. Reasons to hate Reno? No – reasons to want him back, to want him to get better. One – although he _was _a cocky, arrogant son of a bitch -true, no denying that - the office was so damned quiet without him! Two – he got away with stuff…like only he could. It was good that someone did. Three – he was funny. It seemed like a long time since she'd had anything to laugh about. Four – the way he treated women. Warm, charming, flirty – made you feel part of the group, and special at the same time. Five – he called her Laney all the time. He called her Laney all the time. Elena stared towards the setting sun, and pretended that was what was causing the tears.

Tseng stood near the window, slightly apart from Elena. He looked down into the darkening streets of Edge and wondered what Shin-Ra would become. Since Meteor it had been the four of them and Rufus, essentially. Himself and Elena, Reno and Rude. The Turks had survived Sephiroth, Meteor, Omega. Doubtless they would continue without Reno, but it wouldn't be the same. Reno was his second: Reno balanced him. They were yang and yin, Reno's fire to Tseng's ice, Reno's passion to Tseng's calm, Reno's motion to Tseng's stillness. Doubtless he would be able to continue in Shin-Ra without Reno, but he wasn't at all sure that he would want to.

Yazoo sat on one of the low chairs by the coffee machine staring into space. His thoughts were hardly coherent – only nauseous dread. For him there were no choices to make, only a simple truth. If Reno died, he would go out of the door, climb the stairs back up to the roof of the Shin-Ra building where the helicopter had landed, and jump. The thought of it was comforting. A last rush of speed, and the city plaza where he had fought Reno two years ago spread out below him, and falling, and then – nothing.

In his office, two floors above the Turks, Rufus Shinra waited alone. Like Tseng and Elena, he gazed out over the city. Edge was beautiful in the darkness. The lights came on, one by one. Electric power. No longer Shin-Ra mako energy of course, but power from a whole variety of sources – fossil fuels, energy derived from the sun and wind and water - the scientists were even talking about something involving atoms now. Rufus knew that these would bring their own complications and dangers: if he had learned anything it was that power always came at a price. The city glittered beneath him. He had made sure that most of the new energy companies relied on Shin-Ra funding. Shin-Ra scientists were the best on the planet – they were leading the new research. Even the independent companies springing up from the rubble of Shin-Ra's fall would eventually find that the majority of their shareholders turned out to be agents for Rufus Shinra. But there were greater powers, it seemed, even than money, even than energy. If Reno died... Turks were bodyguards – they were supposed to be expendable. But Reno had saved his life, even after all that had been done to him. Reno had saved his life even though Sephiroth had told him the truth – that with Rufus Shinra dead, he and Yazoo could have controlled everything. Why had Reno done that? Rufus could understand the workings of the world economy. He could plan and plot and control the shift and flow of power; he knew how to manipulate, bribe and threaten people into doing exactly what he wanted. But in this office he had been on his knees, with a gun against his head, and he had believed he was going to die. Reno had saved him – and he didn't understand why.

Because he was the president, the call came to him first. He let the phone ring three times before he answered. "Yes?" He listened, making no other comment. "Thank you." Putting the phone down on his desk, Rufus Shinra turned back to the window. Leaning his forehead against the cold glass, he stared down at the blazing lights of the city he had helped to build and re-build. After Meteor it had just been the five of them, really: him, Tseng, Rude, Elena and Reno. After Omega he had begun to refocus, build up the company again, but still, the five of them had been at the core of it all. The re-built Shin-Ra monument down there in City Plaza, all flood-lit and shining – that had been Reno's work. Rufus Shinra let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, and closed his eyes.

When Tseng's phone rang everyone in the office jumped. Rude gave Tseng a startled glance, then looked down at his desk again. Elena's eyes were wide, fixed on Tseng's face. Yazoo's expression was frozen.

"Tseng. ..Yes… I see…Thank you." Tseng smiled. "He's going to make it. It was pulmonary oedema, caused by a broken rib shifting. They've stabilised him now. We can see him tomorrow."

"Thank Gaia!" exclaimed Elena, running to hug Tseng, who seemed happy to reciprocate. Rude nodded. Yazoo stood gracefully, and said, "I'm going to see him now." No-one made any protest, or tried to stop him.

Reno looked terrible. His face, still cut and bruised from the injuries inflicted during the interrogation, was ghostly pale. There were traces of blood around his mouth, visible through the clear plastic of the oxygen mask. He was attached to wires and drips, and his chest was covered with burns, bruises and the electrodes of the heart monitor. Yazoo turned to the doctor and asked, "Is he unconscious?"

"No – just sleeping. I expect he'll sleep for a while now. What was he thinking, taking off in a helicopter like that?"

"He wasn't thinking. Just doing. That's Reno." The doctor looked at Yazoo, and said, "I told the president and the director no visitors until tomorrow. But you can sit with him, if you like."

"Thank you." Yazoo sat in the chair beside Reno's bed, and touched his fingers gently, avoiding the cannula inserted into the vein on the back of his hand. "Hello, beautiful," he whispered very softly, so that Reno wouldn't wake.

Yazoo stayed beside Reno all night. The doctor came in periodically to check the monitors. The others came too, one at a time. Rude was first, peering through the door to make sure the doctor wouldn't catch him. He walked up to the bed, his footsteps surprisingly quiet for such a big man, and looked at Reno, then at Yazoo. "Is he under?"

"No, just sleeping."

"Oh. That's good, right?"

"Yes, that's good." Rude nodded. "Well – if he wakes up before I'm back in the morning – tell him…"

"I will." Rude looked at Reno's pale face and shook his head. "Never would follow instructions," he said.

Next was Tseng, who appeared quietly, and stood looking down at his second in command. He said, "Reno. You listen to the doctor this time, and keep still until you're better." He glanced at Yazoo. "And I won't listen to him if he asks to do anything active. I suppose I just wanted him to be better, so I acted as if it was true. Have you thought any more about that job, by the way?" Yazoo smiled. "Yes," he said. "I'd like to take it."

"Good," said Tseng. "Welcome aboard. I'll fill you in with all the details over the next few days."

"Thank you."

Elena pushed open the door quietly about half an hour later. She went straight up to Reno and kissed his forehead. "Oh Reno! Get better properly this time!" she whispered.

"He will," said Yazoo. "I'm staying here until he wakes up, to make sure that he does." Elena looked at Yazoo then, and nodded. "He's in good hands in that case," she said. She gave Yazoo a sympathetic little smile, and left as quietly as she'd come.

It was just before dawn that Rufus Shinra arrived. He walked straight into the room, paying no attention to the question of whether the doctor objected or not. Looking at Yazoo coolly, he said, "If you would wait outside please."

"He's still asleep."

"Regardless…" Yazoo nodded, reluctantly, and left Rufus with Reno. Out in the corridor Yazoo paced angrily. Rufus Shinra still acted as though he were god, just as Sephiroth had said. No-one but Yazoo would ever know how close the president of Shin-Ra had been to death. Reno's plea had saved him, but Yazoo remembered his finger tightening on the trigger in spite of everything, because the desire to kill Rufus had not only been Sephiroth's. Yazoo had been sitting beside Reno all night looking at his injuries, and the man responsible for all of them seemed to think he had a right to walk in now just like a concerned friend! Deciding that Rufus had already spent longer with Reno than he deserved, Yazoo walked back along the corridor and was about to push open the door when he saw, through the glass, Rufus bending over the bed, removing the oxygen mask and kissing Reno on the lips, before replacing the mask carefully. Yazoo stepped back out of sight, and retreated a few paces along the corridor. A few seconds later Rufus emerged from the room and walked swiftly past Yazoo, not acknowledging him in any way. Yazoo turned and watched him for a moment, wondering. He felt no jealousy because he was certain that what he had witnessed was something Rufus kept entirely private, probably from Reno more than from anyone else.

Yazoo went back to Reno's bedside and touched his fingers again, lightly. This time, they curled a little in response, and Yazoo withdrew his hand with a sharp intake of breath. "Reno?" Reno's eyes blinked open, and he stared at Yazoo blankly for a moment, unsure about where he was. He moved his hand up to take off the oxygen mask, but Yazoo caught it. "No Reno, you'd better keep that on for now. Do you remember what happened?" Slowly Reno nodded. "Yeah," he murmured, the sound muffled by the mask. "Yeah – I was stupid. I jumped and – something broke…"

"It was one of the ribs that was already broken. It caused some sort of problem with one of your lungs. That's why – all the blood. But you're going to be okay now. Only, you have to do what they say this time. Keep still."

"Not going anywhere, I guess."

"No."

"Yaz…"

"Yes?"

"Thanks." Reno smiled. Yazoo smiled back, but all he said was, "I'm going to get the doctor to check you over. You – don't move." As he walked away, Yazoo thought he heard Reno say something, but the words were very soft, and made indistinct by the mask. Reno watched Yazoo leave the room in search of the doctor. "Yeah," he murmured under his breath, "maybe…struck harder than I thought."

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to everyone who has read this, and especially to the kind reviewers! Here's the last chapter.

Please R&R.

Warnings - I told you it was getting fluffier...

* * *

Slowly, this Time

It was nearly two weeks before the doctor allowed Reno to leave the hospital floor of the new Shin-Ra building, and even then he didn't get to go without a lecture. Reno tried to listen as she ran through the list of things he wasn't allowed to do, he really did, but he found his mind drifting. The doctor sighed and said, "I wrote it all down for you, Reno." She handed him a depressingly thick envelope. "Just promise you'll read it, okay?" He grinned. "Sorry doc. I will, yo. And – thanks."

"That's okay. Now, I mean this in a nice way – don't let me see you back here again. Take things slowly this time."

"I will." Reno smiled. The doctor really was an attractive woman. For a moment he wondered what she would say if he asked her out for dinner – but something stopped him. Take things slowly. Too much was still unclear in his head. As if she could read his thoughts, the doctor said, "You know, I spent most of the last two weeks chasing the president and the Turks out of here, but you did have another visitor. Yazoo came every night. Just asked how you were, and stayed for a little while if you were asleep. I…thought you'd want to know."

"Ah. Wondered why I hadn't seen him since the day I woke up. Yeah – thanks." The doctor waved her hand. "Go on, Reno. Get out of here."

For some reason, Reno didn't feel like seeing anyone straight away. He took the elevator down to the lobby and walked out of the new Shin-Ra building as quickly as he could – which wasn't very fast, because he found that his breath caught if he tried to hurry. They had used a lot of cure materia on him, and most of the burns and bruises had vanished, but he still felt annoyingly fragile. Once outside he phoned for a taxi.

Opening the door of his apartment felt strange. When he'd left here – only three weeks ago – he'd not really expected to survive. Now he was home. He looked around, feeling like a visitor. Nice apartment – light – large rooms. Not all that tidy…Everything was the same as when he'd left. Everything was different. Reno took off his jacket and sat on the couch by the window. He had no idea what to do. They had signed him off work for another fortnight, and he was bored within five minutes! He flicked through the channels on the TV, but there was nothing on. He opened the envelope the doctor had given him, and scanned the long list headed 'DO NOT'. The first one was 'do not smoke'. So was the second. And the third. Scanning to the bottom of the page, Reno grimaced as he saw that the last three were the same. "Yeah, yeah doc, I get the message!" In between were all kinds of other prohibitions, including 'do not try to run, jump, kick or undertake any sort of fighting' and 'do not engage in any strenuous physical activity'. For some reason the doctor had highlighted the _any_ in fluorescent orange and added four exclamation marks. On the next page was a shorter list with the title 'DO'. This consisted of orders about eating healthily, asking for help with lifting, and a section called 'do attend these appointments' followed by a list of physiotherapy sessions starting - tomorrow. "Oh well, at least it'll give me something to do, yo," thought Reno, staring at the ceiling. He wondered what the others were doing. When they'd visited him on the hospital floor, Tseng had told them not to bother Reno with too many details of assignments. Reno was an expert at reading between the lines, though, and it was always easy to prise information out of Rude and tease it out of Elena. He knew that something fairly major was kicking off concerning Pure Planet, and he wished he could be in on it. Gloomily he reflected that the nearest he was likely to come to this one would be writing up the paper work and filing other people's reports.

The cure materia had done a good job on his broken fingers, although the grip on his right hand wasn't strong. Being left-handed had always been something of an advantage in combat, except against Yazoo who was the same, but now it meant he had no excuse to avoid writing. Damn! He could see weeks of office work stretching out ahead of him unalleviated by anything more active than physio. Reno wondered whether Yaz had started his job yet, and that got him thinking about the doctor's words. Why had Yaz kept out of his way? Why had he only visited when he was asleep? He had to admit, he'd felt disappointed that Yaz hadn't been there, and now, knowing that he _had_ – he wasn't sure exactly what the feeling was, but it was definitely not a bad feeling. Not a bad feeling at all. Would it be stupid to call Yaz? Would it be fair when, really, he had no idea what his own emotions were? Flipping open the phone, his thumb hovered over Yaz's number, but in the end he scrolled up the list and called Rude instead. "Yo, partner! What's happening?" Rude's calm voice replied, "Reno – glad you're out of hospital, man. Can't talk now – on recon. I'll call back later."

"Later…" Reno hung up, knowing how important it could be to keep lines of communication open in the field. Gaia, but he was bored! Still – not fair to call Yaz. He turned the TV back on, and watched – whatever. It wasn't enough of a distraction though, and he found his mind constantly wandering, thinking about Rufus's plans for Shin-Ra, wondering what the other Turks were doing, imagining how it would be for Yazoo, working for the company. Mostly, if he was honest, it was Yazoo he thought of. He made himself a coffee and drank it black, because the milk remaining in his fridge had turned into something solid and green. From the street below he heard the roar of a powerful engine and he got up – faster than the doctor would have liked – to see what it was. The engine sound gave him a visceral thrill - he longed for speed - needed motion. Looking down from his window Reno saw a beautiful motorbike parked on the opposite kerb. There was no sign of its owner and Reno felt the stirring of an old, familiar temptation. It would be the work of minutes to get downstairs, hotwire that gorgeous machine and just – go! He sighed. But then he'd most likely damage something and end up back in the hospital. Besides, casual theft was probably frowned upon in the shiny new Shin-Ra. He frowned himself at the thought, wondering what his job would become in the new organisation. The assassinations and interrogations he wouldn't miss: the honest fighting and the adrenaline, he would. Maybe, if they were going into counter terrorism, dealing with groups like this Pure Planet lot, there would still be some fun in the game. Reno caught himself smiling at the memory of fighting with Yazoo. Now that – that had been a challenge. Painful at times, but a real fight.

The buzz of the doorbell surprised Reno. Newly cautious, he snatched up his EMR from the table as he made his way, frustratingly slowly, into the corridor. He peered through the spy-hole, remembering Tseng's warnings about Pure Planet hit lists, and how Reno needed to take more care than usual now he couldn't defend himself so well.

Yaz!

If it _had_ been a Pure Planet hit man with a gun Reno's body wouldn't have reacted half so strongly. He gasped involuntarily and leaned back against the door, his heart hammering painfully hard. Yaz. He felt – he hardly knew what he felt; the mix of emotions was so overwhelming. He felt nervous, and kind of afraid, and hot and shaken, and so…so damned _happy_! "Guess that answers that then," he thought. He shook his head, as the doorbell sounded again. "So – not only girls. Well – that's how it is." He hesitated, remembering the doctor's words – _take things slowly this time_. "Right," Reno told himself, "Don't mess this up, yo. No rushing in. This could still all be left over from Sephiroth's influence, so don't go letting Yaz think...anything. Slowly, this time."

Reno took a long breath and opened the door. Yazoo looked as nervous as Reno felt, his green eyes uncertain. "I tried to keep away while you were with the others," he said. "I hope you don't mind me coming here." Reno felt an electric thrill at the sound of his voice, but made himself reply calmly, "No Yaz, we're cool. Come in." Yazoo followed Reno into the lounge and looked around, interested. For the first time in his life Reno felt a bit embarrassed by the mess. "Uh – it's not very tidy," he said as a kind of apology. Yazoo smiled. "So much space," he said. "So much light! Remember our apartment in the slums? This is…good." Reno registered the 'our', and looked away, hiding the smile that came unbidden at the word. He asked, "Do you want a coffee or something? I don't have much in. No milk." He grinned. "It's turned into something that looks like one of Hojo's experimen – oh fuck – I'm sorry Yaz. I didn't mean…" Yazoo shook back his silver hair and smiled, but not before Reno saw the flash of pain in his eyes. "It's all right," Yazoo told him. "I _was_ a kind of experiment…but I'm just a human being now." Reno cursed himself thoroughly. Why did he always get this stuff wrong? He touched Yaz's arm lightly. "I know you're human now," he said. "I didn't mean anything. _Always_ say the wrong thing, yo. I – I'll get the coffee." Reno went to the kitchen. Yazoo watched him, then looked down at his arm where Reno's hand had rested. He walked to the window and stood looking into the street. Reno returned with a steaming mug and set it down on the glass coffee table. "Coffee, yo," he said, unnecessarily. Yazoo turned and smiled at him. Reno's heart flipped. To cover his emotion he walked to the window and gestured down to the street below. "That's one fantastic bike, no?"

"Thank you."

Reno's mouth fell open. "That's _yours_?"

"Yes. I built it." Yazoo smiled again, his beautiful eyes shining. "The job Tseng gave me – I couldn't really do much. I think he was just being kind. He said I'd be an expert on the Lifestream – but no-one's using mako energy any more, so…Anyway, I found my way down to the engineering department, and got talking to some of the mechanics, and made a few suggestions…When they saw that I knew what I was talking about they let me make things. I think…I'm going to ask Tseng for a transfer."

"I think you should! Holy fuck – I'd love to have a go on that! You know, when I saw it, I was thinking of stealing it."

"You'd find that harder than you expect. I put in a lot of security."

"Sounds like a challenge."

Yazoo smiled. "When the doctor says you're well enough, we'll go for a ride."

"Let's go now. Please? Just round the block." Reno's blue-green eyes were bright with longing. Yazoo sighed. "Tell me you're joking?"

"No."

"Reno, you're supposed to take things slowly…"

"Never could, never will. Go on, Yaz."

"It's too risky."

"So's life! C'mon Yaz?"

"Just round the block?"

"Yes!" Reno punched the air.

Reno climbed onto the bike behind Yazoo, who looked back over his shoulder and smiled, his green eyes sparkling. "You hold on _tight_," he warned, "Because Tseng's going to kill me if you fall off – and then I'm going to kill _you_!" Reno raised an eyebrow. "Huh? How does that work?" But he held on tightly to Yazoo's waist and tried to ignore the fact that his heart wasn't only racing with the anticipation of the ride. Yazoo keyed in some kind of code – he hadn't been kidding about the security – and kicked in the engine, which roared to life immediately. Both men smiled at the power in the sound and the shuddering vibration of potential speed. "Ready?" called Yazoo. Reno nodded, his eyes shining. "Hell, yeah!" The bike leapt forward, snarling. Reno yelled, "Wooohooo!' Yazoo smiled back at him, and accelerated away. He didn't ride around the block. Taking the main street right past the Shin-Ra building, Yazoo headed straight for the highway and kept going, overtaking everything, out of Edge, out into the desert lands beyond. He finally brought the bike to a halt on a high cliff overlooking Edge and the ruins of old Midgar – a cliff from which another version of himself had watched Cloud heading for Healen Lodge and a meeting with Rufus Shinra. Reno laughed. "Yeah, Yaz. That's the stuff. What I needed, man. Never could do slow, yo?"

"No." Yaz looked at him, half smiling. "Rest a minute though, before we go back."

"Yeah." Reno climbed off the bike and sat on the sandy ground looking towards Edge. Yazoo joined him. Reno shook his head. "Thanks Yaz. I feel so much better. That's one hell of a bike."

"Well," said Yazoo, "If you promise not to take too many risks, and you do all your physio, I'll build you one too."

"You'd do that for me?" Reno looked at Yaz, who was no longer smiling. Yazoo nodded, not taking his eyes from Reno's. "I would do anything for you," he said. "I love you." He looked away. "I know you probably don't want to hear it. I won't say it again. But…it didn't stop being true for me, when it did for you."

"I know." Reno took a breath and jumped straight in. "Look – Yaz – I'm gonna say this all wrong, yo, but - when Sephiroth left, I thought it was gone - I felt nothing for a while. But since then, it's just…Little things you know? Like, Rude said I shouldn't feel bad because it could've been any of them who fell for you, and I couldn't stand the thought of that – it just made me crazy to think it might not've been me…"

"Rude was wrong," said Yazoo urgently, hope suddenly stirring. "That wasn't Sephiroth – he wasn't conscious then. That was me. I only spoke to _you_. I wanted you – from the start. Only you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Ah, Yaz! You've got me all turned around, man! You know – I can't promise anything. I told myself I was gonna keep this quiet – go slow." He shook his head. "Never could do slow. Fuck it Yaz, I'm no good at this stuff. Always rushing in, doing damage…All I know is, it didn't stop when Sephiroth went. I see you, and I feel…You make me feel alive."

"It didn't stop?"

"No. Yaz – you know what I am. You know what I'm like. But if you want to risk it…"

"Yes."

"I'm probably hell to live with…if you think you can stand that?"

"Yes."

Yazoo's green eyes were fixed on Reno's face. He was trembling. Reno smiled and gave a little shrug. "Who am I kidding, man? I love you. I never stopped, yo. Come here." Yazoo reached for Reno, who kissed him with tender passion. Yazoo's eyes filled with tears. "I never dreamed this…" Yazoo began, but Reno kissed him again. "Shh," he murmured, holding Yaz close. "It's all okay now." They sat together watching the sun setting over old Midgar and Edge, and the towering silhouette of the new Shin-Ra building right at the centre of things. When it began to get dark, Reno got to his feet and looked down at Yazoo, holding out his hand. Yazoo took it, and stood gracefully.

"C'mon, Yaz," smiled Reno, with a wink. "Take me home, yo."

The End

* * *

Ah, I love a happy ending! Mind you, living with Reno might be interesting...

Thanks for reading.


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